Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. plan to work together on rehabilitation from ACL tears

The New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Cleveland Browns broadband Odell Beckham Jr. are in similar spots. Both rehabilitate broken ACLs and use each other as resources.

The former Giants teammates speak regularly and plan to band together to rehabilitate and train this off-season.

“The only thing I know that I have planned for sure is that I will definitely connect [Odell]”Barkley told ESPN during an interview he did while promoting Campbell’s Chunky Million Meals Challenge, which raises money to provide over 100 million meals to children.” Obviously Odell tore his knee a little too. I think we both just have to be there. We are really good friends. It will also be good to compete with and push each other. That’s the only one that I know for sure I’ll do. Everything else is in the air. “

Barkley had an operation on his right knee in Los Angeles on October 30th. Beckham had his left knee repaired in Florida on November 10th. So they are not far away as they are trying to get back 100% for the next season.

Barkley, 23, did rehabilitation at the Giants facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey, praising the work he did with physical therapist / rehabilitation manager Leigh Weiss and the rest of the team. This will continue until the NFL finalizes its offseason plans sometime outside of the Super Bowl. But at some point he will bring his training to the west coast, where Beckham is stationed.

“Every year, at some point, we connect with him. We’ll definitely find a way to connect,” said Barkley. “Of course, I’d love any of these guys to go through this injury, whether it’s Joe [Burrow], [Devin] Bush, Bud [Dupree]There are a few people, everyone, I think it would be really stupid if we could all connect. “

Burrow, Bush, and Dupree also suffered ACL rifts this season.

Barkley said he thinks being with others in similar situations could be useful. Not necessarily to compete, but to see everyone attack their rehab and comeback.

“It’s no longer like a comparison [with] each other because every injury – they may have this or that – is different, “Barkley said.” So there is really no longer any comparison or competition with one another. What I mean by competition is how to compete within ourselves and make sure we push each other and get the best out of each other. “

Beckham always tried to surround himself with like-minded people who excel in their given craft. He is known to be friends with LeBron James and rapper Drake.

So it’s no surprise that Beckham would welcome Barkley into his close circle. The two have been close since Barkley was drafted by the Giants in 2018, and they remained friendly even after trading with Beckham the next year.

“We definitely talk, whether on the phone or playing Call of Duty. Obviously, it probably played a little more of it than I would have liked this year,” said Barkley. “But it was weird. I’m literally rehabilitating. I remember rehabilitating. I look up and watch. I watch a clip and I see Odell get hurt. That definitely hurt me.

“But of course we both wouldn’t want to go through that, I think you would say, but I think it’s very important that we are very close and know each other so well and we are two competitors and we think we can really do it . ” Help each other, I think it’s important to really network. At the same time, we both need to have an attitude of getting 1% better every day. We have to get that from each other. Anyway Can get it. “