The New York Giants expect star running back Saquon Barkley to miss three weeks with a sprained right ankle he sustained in Sunday's comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals, ESPN reported Monday.

According to the report, an MRI taken on Barkley's ankle did not reveal a more significant high ankle sprain that would require a lengthier recovery period. Still, the 2022 Pro Bowl selection is certain to miss the Giants' game at San Francisco on Thursday and potentially more.

Barkley was injured with under two minutes left in New York's 31-28 win, in which the GIants rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit. The six-year veteran got his right ankle caught in a pile on his final rushing attempt and needed to be helped off the field with the assistance of trainers.

The 2018 No. 2 overall pick played a big role in Sunday's comeback with both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the second half. Barkley finished the game with 63 rushing yards on 17 carries and added six receptions totalling 29 yards.

An MRI showed that Giants’ RB Saquon Barkley suffered an “ordinary” ankle sprain that now is expected to sideline him three weeks, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 18, 2023

Barkley helped the 2022 GIants to their first playoff appearance in six years with an outstanding season in which he finished fourth in the NFL with a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He accounted for 27.7 per cent of New York's total yards from scrimmage last season, the sixth highest rate of any player for his respective team.

The 26-year-old is entering the final season of a one-year, $10.091 million contract that can be worth up to $11 million with incentives. The Giants gave Barkley the franchise tag this offseason, which prompted him to skip the team's minicamp in June, but the two sides reached an agreement on a revised deal just before the start of training camp.

Veteran Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell are both expected to see increased touches during Barkley's absence.

Breida has spent the majority of his career as a backup but did rush for 814 yards in 14 games with the 49ers in 2018. Brightwell's most extensive action came in the 2022 regular-season finale, in which he rushed for 60 yards on 11 carries against the Philadelphia Eagles.