Barry Sanders Expects Saquon Barkley Bounce Back

Those few Saquon Barkley believers still residing in New York have an ally to their west and he just so happens to be a Hall of Famer.

Retired running back Barry Sanders is amongst those who still have faith in the oft-injured Giant, who enters his fifth NFL season with less than 3,000 rushing yards and little belief from the hometown fans.

"I have all faith and confidence in Saquon," Sanders told TMZ Sports late last week.

Sanders' comments are at least somewhat surprising considering Barkley's been basically the anti-Barry Sanders since entering the league as the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He flashed as a rookie, claiming Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since. He's rushed for just eight touchdowns in the three seasons following his rookie campaign.

Despite Barkley's struggles - he rushed for less than 600 yards last season and missed 4 games in 2021 - Sanders still views the Penn State product as talented enough to regain his rookie year form and become the playmaker most talent evaluators expected.

"He has the right stuff to make it happen on the field," Sanders told TMZ.

Sanders, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and totaled 15,269 career rushing yards, further backed Barkley based on what he's witnessed firsthand.

"I've seen it," insisted Sanders. "So, good luck to him."

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, right Giants fans?

 

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