Transcript: Running Back Saquon Barkley

Running Back Saquon Barkley

Getting better. Similar spot as last week and the mindset of trust the trainers, continue to rehab and take it day by day.

Q: Do you feel like you're closer to being out there?

A: Yeah, I mean, I feel like I'm trending every week. I felt better last Wednesday and last Thursday, this Thursday, Wednesday, than last Wednesday and Thursday. But when you have injuries, sometimes it takes time. Like I said, just been listening to the trainers, coming in here and try to do everything I can, and taking it day by day.

Q: Is there any thought, since you dealt with this kind of two years ago, about not wanting to rush back so that it's fully healed when you get back out there?

A: No, that's not really the case. A fully healed ankle, I don't want to talk like I'm a doctor or something like that, but it's what, six to eight weeks? For it to actually, fully scar in and do everything. So, I don't think it would be in my best interest to sit out and just let it fully scar in. But I've played with this before. You can play with it. It sucks, sometimes when you make a cut, you feel it, sometimes you don't. Every week, it gets better. You've just got to hope you don't backtrack, and that's what I've just been doing is listening to the trainers, listen to the staff, go out there, take the reps I can take, feel it out and every week just try to get better.

Q: How frustrating is it for you to see this offense struggle and you're on the sidelines?

A: Yeah, it sucks, because as a competitor, you want to be out there. It's not like more of the mindset of I want to be out there, it's going to change something. More of the mindset of just seeing your guys fight and you can do nothing about it. It's hard to lead. It's hard to have a presence when you're on a sideline in a hat and a hoodie in street clothes. So, I think it's important for me to get back out there, especially where we are at in the season, and I feel like I can make an impact and hopefully I'm able to show that.

Q: What's been the hardest part physically?

A: What do you mean?

Q: Is it the cutting? Is it just the pain?

A: Yeah, pain, cutting… That's what happens when you (inaudible) your ankle, you get some inflammation in there and you're kind of just working through that and working through the soreness. But like I said, each week has been trending upwards. I feel way better this Wednesday and this Thursday than I felt in the past.

Q: Does (quarterback) Daniel's (Jones) situation in any way influence you? If he can't go, you want to be out there?

A: I don't really think that plays a factor in this if DJ can go or not, do I want to be out there any more or less? Just me as competitor, I want to be out there. I feel like that win, lose, or draw. I like going out there, I like playing football. We get paid for it, but it's something I've been doing since I was a kid. I enjoy it. The other stuff is not fun, the business side, and you've got to hear people say this and say that, but going out there and playing the game you love is always fun to me. That's what pushes me and motivates me to go out there, and also, being a leader on the team. Like I said, it's hard to lead in street clothes.

Q. I think the last game you played you played all but two snaps. Have you looked back at all at that workload on that day as any reason that the ankle was compromised?

A: No, I felt great. To be honest, I felt great after the ankle. It was just I didn't think it would take this long to be completely honest. I can't even say it's taking this long, this is the timeline I probably was given, but as a competitor, you want to try to beat it and get out there as fast as you can for your team but I felt really good from the work load, I felt really good this camp coming into the season but, it's football. Had an unblocked guy come take my leg out, I was getting hit this way at the same time and had a high ankle sprain. To be honest, it could've been way worse, kind of look at it from that perspective as a blessing and knowing that I will be able to get back on the field soon and it's not something I'm out for a year or have to get surgery for.

Q. Given this start, what would qualify now as a successful season for this team in your mind?

A: I don't think that anything changed from where we were in camp, the same thing. The season is not – I know everybody wants to tear us apart and give up and focus on the future, but I don't think anyone – I know – no one in this locker room has that mindset. We still believe in each other, we're going to believe in each other until these things fall off, until we can't. I've been in this position before and nothing's going to change. It's not me trying to be optimistic, that's how I really feel as a competitor. Until this thing is over, and they say we don't have a chance to make it to the playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl, that's what we're going to continue to do.

Q. (Colts running back) Jonathan Taylor reached a pretty large extension this past week. I don't think we got the chance to talk to you about it. What were your thoughts when you saw that deal?

A: Happy for him. Happy for him, I'm excited for him. He deserves it. He's a heck of a player, one of the best running backs in the league. It definitely helps out the running back position.

Q. The camera caught you upset with a fan who was being an idiot…

A: Thank you (laughs).

Q. …for lack of a better term. When that happens is it hard to not say something?

A: It's really not hard, to be honest. We live in New York and New Jersey, we play for the New York Giants, that's expected. They want a team that's going to go out there and win so when it's the booing, when it's the cheering, they say all this, I'm okay with that. I've never had any interaction with the fans, that doesn't bother me, I don't let that get under my skin but that moment, especially when DJ, someone who would give his freaking all for this franchise and for this city and would go out there and risk it every single day and do whatever he can to bring a Super Bowl to this city and to this organization and he just hurt his neck and he's sitting in a blue tent getting check on for his neck and you've got a fan just (expletive) him, that just doesn't sit well with me. He's helpless. He can't do nothing. But like I said, I get it. I was a fan of football before. That's not in my makeup, that's not in my character to boo and do stuff like that. But fans, if you don't like the product that we're doing out there – we've got to give them a product to be happy about so go ahead and boo, go ahead and cheer. That's part of the game, but have sympathy at the same time. He's a human being and out of all people, it shouldn't be eight.