NFL notebook:
While he isn’t in football shape and is unlikely to play in a game anytime soon, star running back Saquon Barkley is back practicing with the New York Giants.
The Giants activated Barkley from the physically unable to perform list Monday and had him participate in some light drills as the team opened its third week of training camp.
The move came roughly 10 ½ months after Barkley tore the ACL in his right knee in the second game of last season.
“It felt good to just be back out there playing football,” Barkley said after practice. “The most fun part I would say is being back out there with your teammates. Obviously, the next step in my rehab process and just thankful to be able to go back out there and play football with my teammates and be able to get to practice. It’s what I love.”
Neither Barkley not coach Joe Judge would put a timetable on when he will play in a game. Judge got a laugh saying Barkley would not play in the preseason opener against the Jets on Saturday.
Barkley said what he has repeated for months: When the doctors say he can play in a game, that’s when he will play.
The Penn State product smiled telling the media he lobbied to return to practice and laughed when asked if he took any grief from fellow players at the workout.
The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 did not participate in offseason workouts, staying in the Giants’ facility to focus on his rehab. He started training camp on the PUP list, but has been on the field watching his teammates.
Surgery for Saints’ Kicker: Saints kicker Wil Lutz has scheduled surgery to a repair a core muscle injury and it is unclear if he’ll return in time for the regular season.
Lutz announced the procedure with a post on social media and Saints coach Sean Payton said the Saints would have to work out kickers and sign a new one “at least” for the preseason.
“My training camp will be cut short due to an injury that had progressively worsened,” Lutz wrote in his social media post. “We’ve decided it’s in our best interest to get this fixed now in order to miss the least amount of time possible.”
Lutz, who has played in every game for New Orleans since making the team as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia State in 2016, was the only kicker on the roster heading into Monday’s practice.
Texaans’ Watson practices: Deshaun Watson returned to practice with the Houston Texans on Monday after not taking part in workouts for almost a week.
Watson reported to camp on time and was on the field for the team’s first five days of practice, participating in individual drills only. When the players wore pads for the first time this season last Tuesday, he did not participate and was not on the field.
He continued to be absent from practice until Monday when he trotted onto the field with the rest of the team. He only worked during individual drills and went into the indoor practice facility after the first five periods of work. He returned to the field near the end of the two-hour practice and watched as his teammates went through 11-on-11 work.
Coach David Culley refused to say why Watson stopped practicing with the team last week, and he wasn’t available to answer questions regarding his return Monday because he spoke before practice.
Watson’s future is uncertain after he asked for a trade in January before 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them in March. Houston police and the NFL are investigating the allegations, but no charges have been filed.
Watson still wishes to be traded and reported to training camp solely to avoid being fined. He would have faced fines of $50,000 a day if he didn’t report.