The New York Giants were winners this offseason before free agency even began. With minutes before the deadline to use the franchise tag expired, New York banged out a deal with quarterback Daniel Jones, agreeing to a four-year, $160 million contract.
Because Jones signed his deal, the Giants were able to instead place the franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley was an integral part of the team’s success in 2022, looking like the player that the Giants used the No. 2 overall pick on in 2018 that won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Barkley will be with the team for at least the 2023 season with the franchise tag, but his future beyond that is currently up in the air. That is because the extensions that were on the table during the season are no longer being made available by the Giants.
According to Connor Hughes of SNY, Barkley turned down a contract during the team’s bye week during the season. Another offer was made at the end of the season which offered some more money, which he declined. Now, after seeing how compressed the market was, there is no offer on the table from the Giants.
“There was a contract offer on the table with a Giants letterhead for Saquon Barkley to sign during the bye week that would have paid him $12.5 million annually,” Hughes wrote. “There was another, for a smidge more, pushed across after the season ended.
“Barkley turned down both. And now, the table is bare.”
Giants general manager Joe Schoen confirmed this week that the offers that were made before the franchise tag was placed on Barkley have since been rescinded. This is now a situation that many people around the league are keeping a close eye on.
The non-exclusive franchise tag which the team placed on Barkley would pay him $10.1 million in 2023. Teams are free to negotiate with him, but if they sign him to an offer sheet and the Giants decline to match, they would have to send two first-round picks over to New York.
This is a delicate balancing act for Schoen and the franchise. Barkley is a respected player in the locker room and a big reason that they had the success that they did in 2022. They want him to remain with the franchise long-term, knowing his value to the team goes beyond the field.
This isn’t something the Giants want lingering into the season as he could negatively impact the locker room and team morale, so expect Schoen to work hard to find a deal that works for both sides.
