Things have been trending in the right direction for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley as he aims to make his return for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. Giants head coach Joe Judge addressed reporters Friday about Barkley's status, and he said “it would take a setback” for the star to not play, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

Barkley went through Friday's practice and reported no setbacks. There will be a discussion with Giants team leaders and the medical staff, but it seems he's on the verge of being cleared to play. While there's always the possibility of a setback between now and Sunday, it's looking good for the running back.

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New York is itching to get Barkley back in the lineup after he suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 2 of the 2020 season. The Giants suffered through a 6-10 campaign and missed the playoffs despite playing in a woeful division, and Barkley's absence certainly didn't help.

New York will surely try to ease Barkley back into the fold in his return to the field. But if he's good to go for Week 1 and stays healthy, he should be back to playing a starring role soon enough. The Giants running back took the NFL by storm as a rookie, and now he's trying to get back to that level.