EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ Rookie running back Saquon Barkley said he feels ready to return to the football field in a full capacity, but at the same time, he understands why the Giants are being cautious with him.
"Personally, the way I feel, my body feels, I'll be honest, I feel good, I feel pretty good," Barkley said after Wednesday's practice. "I've been moving really well, but that's really what the trainers get paid for."
The No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NFL draft returned to Giants practice for individual drills and walkthroughs in a limited capacity Wednesday. He stretched with the team, took a few snaps with the first-team offense, ran routes and caught passes from Eli Manning. But Barkley spent the majority of the practice doing individual drills on the side and talking with his teammates.
It appears highly unlikely Barkley will play in the Giants' Week 3 preseason game against the Jets Friday at 7:30 p.m. at MetLife Stadium, but the running back said he hasn't been told anything specific yet. Giants first-year head coach Pat Shurmur echoed what he has been saying since Barkley suffered a minor hamstring strain Aug. 13 making an impressive catch down the sideline at practice.
"We'll see," Shurmur said when discussing when Barkley will return. "We're going to be smart."
Although Barkley would like to be back on the field as a full participant, he knows the cautionary approach is for his long-term benefit, even referencing when Odell Beckham Jr. dealt with a hamstring injury during the 2015 season.
"They tell me stories all the time," Barkley said. "And you talk to other guys, like guys like Odell that hurt their hamstring before, it's when you feel 100 percent and that's when you give it that push, boom, that's when it happens again. It's a setback and I don't want any setbacks at all."
The Giants don't want setbacks from their highly touted rookie running back either. Until then, Barkley is making the most of what he can observe.
He said he's always been a player who could learn both on and off the field, and although most of his learning is coming from the sideline and film study at the moment, he wants to continue to improve and adapt to NFL speed.
Barkley said he's taking advantage of the fact that he no longer has class to worry about like at Penn State and can dive more into the playbook. He admits he doesn't know the offense 100 percent yet, but with his focus solely on "football and family," he has more time to learn.
"Some guys that don't take as many reps but can still go out there, so I have to take that mindset," Barkley said. "And when my time is called and I'm going to be able to play, I got to be 100 percent ready.
"Obviously I would love to be out there and to play as quickly as possible as I can, but that's part of the game," he said. "Injuries are a part of a game."
Whether he's playing on the field or standing on the sideline, Barkley looks forward to sharing a field with the Jets, a team he grew up rooting for, with his father even getting a Jets tattoo.
"Obviously I don't know what I'm doing (Friday)," Barkley said, "but just to be out there in MetLife, seeing my family and being across and seeing the Jets, it's kind of all coming full circle."
This would be the second missed preseason game for Barkley as he waits on that goal of becoming one of the top backs in the league.
"Only thing I really have to worry about is going home and taking care of my family ... so I kind of have no choice, especially with how good I want to be and how passionate I am about the game," Barkley said. "That's part of the life I have to continue to grow and continue to get better."
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