One of the biggest takeaways from OTAs and minicamp for the New York Giants was the contract situation with running back Saquon Barkley. The No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft was not present for any of the practices as he remains without a contract.
The Giants placed the franchise tag on Barkley earlier in the offseason after agreeing to a new four-year deal with quarterback Daniel Jones. He has yet to sign the franchise tender, essentially holding out for a new deal.
With a deadline of July 17th to sign a new contract, the two sides have some time to work things out. Based on reports from minicamp, there weren’t many discussions being had. The Giants had pulled contracts off the table earlier in the offseason when the running back market cratered, which Barkley was not thrilled to hear got out to the media.
There will certainly be some fences that need to be mended, but at the end of the day, both sides want to get a deal done. Barkley wants to remain a Giant and the franchise wants to keep him around. They are now reportedly working toward that according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport while making an appearance on NFL Total Access earlier this week.
“First of all, the Giants and Saquon Barkley. He said recently at his (youth) camp, he said he’s not going to make a definitive declaration of what he is going to do in the 2023 season until we get into that deadline and to be sure there is still room here for a deal. Talks are back on between the Giants and Saquon Barkley. Now, we’ll see if they can get to a point where he could become one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL
“At the very least, Saquon Barkley is expected to be back with the Giants on a one-year fully guaranteed tag. It’s just a matter of whether he’s going to get the security that he wants. Time will tell on that one.” (H/T Christian Gonzales of NFL.com)
The franchise tag that was placed on Barkley is worth $10.1 million this season. A deal between the two sides would likely surpass that number and what a second franchise tag would cost, likely putting Barkley’s minimum guaranteed number at around $23 million.
The star running back hinted at the possibility of sitting out should an agreement not be reached. That is a worst-case scenario for both sides. Having Barkley in the lineup is integral to the Giants’ game plan on offense and sitting out is not a strategy that has worked previously for players.
It is certainly encouraging to see them back at the negotiating table. But talks likely won’t heat up until closer to the July 17th deadline as neither said is in panic mode, as of yet.
