Saquon Barkley Smart Not to Undergo Tightrope Surgery Like Tua Tagovailoa

Saquon Barkley got a second opinion on his injured right ankle and is reportedly opting to forgo tightrope surgery. This is 1,000 percent the right move by the star running back and the New York Giants.

Wait, the organization is making a smart decision? Goodness me, what year is it?

On Sunday, in a thrilling victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Barkley went down with an ankle injury, which of course caused panic throughout Giants Nation. Well, it's been diagnosed as a high right ankle sprain, with Barkley expected to miss 4-8 weeks.

Thankfully, he won't need surgery. And wisely, he won't undergo a relatively new procedure to try and get himself back on the field ASAP.

Tightrope surgery? Yeah, it's a thing. Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa underwent the procedure after injuring his ankle during the SEC Championship to get on the field for the College Football Playoff. He played well in the semifinals, but was bad in the finals. Still, it was worth it for a shot at glory.

In Barkley's case, it'd get him back on the field in a much quicker fashion, but would it really be worth it? Barkley is the future of New York, which has shifted gears from Eli Manning to Daniel Jones.

While the win over Tampa Bay was thrilling, this team isn't competing for anything this year. Let's be real. Getting Barkley back a few games early might make the difference between going 6-10 and 7-9. It also increases his risk of re-injuring himself, perhaps even worse a second time if he tries to come back too soon.

Let the kid heal, get that ankle back to full strength and dominate with the ball in his hands when he's ready. Kudos to the G-Men for being smart about this... for once.