Giants' Saquon Barkley out vs. Jets, ‘definitely hopeful’ for Week 1

New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley took an important step in his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered on Sept. 20 of last year when he returned to practice Monday.

According to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Giants head coach Joe Judge confirmed Barkley won't play in this coming Saturday's preseason opener against the New York Jets. Judge did, however, leave the door open for Barkley to receive some carries in the subsequent two exhibition contests. 

Barkley told reporters he's "not even thinking about" his status for the Week 1 matchup versus the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12 but offered a positive update when asked if he's more optimistic about being in the lineup for that showdown after participating in some on-the-field drills. 

"Yeah, I guess you could say, from my mindset, you’re definitely hopeful," the 24-year-old explained. 

While Judge said he'd like Barkley to experience the tempo of in-game action this month, the ball-carrier stated he "wouldn’t really be worried" about making his first start during the regular season. 

"If the doctors say he’s ready to play — and if we have the opportunity to get him in at a certain point — we will," Judge added. "But I’m not going to press that timetable." 

Barkley has millions of reasons to prove he's back to 100% as soon as possible, as the 2018 first-round pick is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2022 unless he lands an extension beforehand.