The New York Giants are hoping to find some answers about the team's future during the 2022 season. They have a lot of young talent on their roster, but they have failed to consistently win games for the Giants over the past few seasons. As a result, there are a lot of question marks on the roster heading into training camp.
How the offense will perform after a pretty horrible 2021 campaign will be one of the biggests storylines on the season. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones is probably in a make-or-break year, and he will need to be great if he wants to convince the Giants he's the right guy to lead them into the future.
Of course, it would help if his offensive teammates could step up for him, and among those that will need to be better is star running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley posted an absolute dud of a 2021 campaign after missing virtually the entire 2020 season, and he will need to be better in 2022. But if he has a bad training camp, there could be some serious questions raised about his future with the Giants.
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Giants player with the most to prove at training camp: Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley's career with the Giants got off to a really good start. He won rookie of the year in 2018, and led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2028. But ever since then, things haven't gone as smoothly for Barkley and New York.
Barkley struggled with injuries in 2019, but still managed to eclipse the 1000 yard rushing mark on the season, so it was still a productive season for him. In 2020 those injury concerns became greater, as Barkley only lasted two games before tearing his ACL and being forced to miss the entire season. But Barkley was able to make his way back for the start of the 2021 season, so all was well for the Giants.
Except it wasn't. Barkley struggled right out of the gate, was forced to miss four game midway through the season due to an ankle injury, and ultimately, looked like he lacked the explosion that made him one of the most feared running backs in the league early in his career. Barkley's final numebrs on the season (162 CAR, 593 YDS, 2 TD; 41 REC, 263 YDS, 2 TD) were extremely discouraging for the Giants and their fans.
In truth, New York's offense as a whole struggled for much of the 2021 season. Jones missed six games with injuries and could never get into rhythm, and the Giants struggled to piece together games on offense when Jones was off the field. It's clear the offense as a whole will need to be better in 2022.
Article Continues BelowBut it starts with Barkley. New York is going to be relying heavily on Barkley to be able to be his usual explosive self when he has the ball in his hands in 2022. That alleviates the pressure off the rest of the offense, and should open things up in the passing game as a result.
As a result, Barkley is going to have to start by putting together a solid training camp. He's not really in jeopardy of losing his job in 2022, but he needs to play well enough to convince the Giants he's worth keeping around for the future. If it were to be based off his 2021 performance, Barkley probably wouldn't be New York's starting running back this season.
Barkley is going to have to reestablish himself after an absolute dud of a 2021 season. If he shows up to training camp and is in good shape, has some juice on his cuts, and looks like his old self, the Giants will be in good shape. But if he looks lethargic and worn down like he did for most of last season, New York may be in trouble.
Matt Breida sits behind Barkley on the Giants running back depth chart, and he isn't exactly a starting caliber option if Barkley falters. It's Barkley or bust for New York heading into 2022, and based off his production from last season, that's a somewhat troubling proposition.
It's a contract year for Barkley, so you can bet the entire NFL is going to be paying attention to see how he does this season. It could be the difference between a huge, long-term deal for Barkley, and a shorter, less lucrative deal that is more like a prove-it deal for the talented running back.
There's a lot on the line for Barkley in 2022, and training camp will give us our first idea of how things could go for him this season. Barkley is going to have to prove he's still the same player he was before his ACL injury in 2020, and there's no better place to start than in training camp. If he struggles again, his long-term status with the Giants could be in jeopardy.