New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is eyeing a return from his high-ankle sprain for his team's Thursday night showdown against the New England Patriots.

"I mean, that would be awesome," he said, per Ian Rapoport and Kim Jones of NFL.com. "Not just Tom Brady but the fact that it's the Patriots. Are they the best team in the NFL right now? You could argue that, right? Most people would probably say they are the best in the NFL. So, to be able to have the opportunity to play against a team like that, on Thursday night, go to New England, would be dope."

Barkley also discussed initial reports about his recovery timeline:

"How can anyone tell me how long I'm supposed to be out? Maybe because of my competitive nature. How are you going to tell me [that]? No one was in the doctor's office [with me], no one has seen my ankle, everyone's different. I think an important thing that Dr. [Robert] Anderson and Dr. [Martin] O'Malley said was, 'You treat the patient, not the injury.' When I heard that, I just took it to heart. ... Everyone's putting these messages out there, and no one heard from my mouth that I'm out six to eight weeks. That made no sense at all."

The second-year playmaker has lived up to the hype after going second overall in 2018, rushing for 1,307 and 11 touchdowns while catching 91 passes for 721 yards and four scores as a rookie. His 2,028 yards from scrimmage ranked first in the NFL as he made the Pro Bowl.

New York had a scare in its 32-31 Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Barkley was forced out and had a boot on his right foot upon returning to the sideline. Wayne Gallman has filled in admirably since for the now-2-2 Giants, who are under the stewardship of rookie QB Daniel Jones.

The Giants face the Minnesota Vikings at home for Week 5 on Sunday, with game time set for 1 p.m. ET.