This offseason has not gone as expected for New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley. He was hoping to cash in on a lucrative long-term deal after getting things back on track during the 2022 season.
There has never been a debate about the skills Barkley brings to the field as he is one of the most talented players in the NFL. But after his Offensive Rookie of the Year award winning campaign to start his career, things went south.
The Giants weren’t very good throughout Barkley’s tenure with the team, but with him finally healthy in 2022 and with a regime led by general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, things turned around. New York went 9-7-1, even winning a playoff game on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is an integral part of the team’s plans and the Giants want to keep him around. However, negotiations soured after Barkley’s representatives reportedly turned down a deal that would have paid him $13 million annually.
That deal has since been rescinded as the Giants spent money elsewhere on the roster. It has led to Barkley announcing he won’t be taking part in mandatory minicamp and voicing concerns about the NFL looking to limit the earnings of running backs by having the franchise tag placed on him, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard.
It has led to some strong reactions from analysts, including former NFL quarterback, Chris Simms. Simms believes Barkley is having “the toughest conversation in the sport right now” about how running backs are being valued around the league and how much money he should earn.
“You say no, they’re going to start moving other things around, figuring out other things for the team,” Simms said about that career-altering decision, “and then the guy comes back and is like, ‘I’ll take that deal.’ Well, it’s a different scenario now, we just gave out $50M to other people.”
“I hope they can find the sweet spot of paying him, maybe making the number a little lower on the salary cap and keeping him around,” Simms added about the relationship between the Giants and Barkley. “I just look at him — he’s a Giant. He’s got the Giant way about him. I think he’s a special person and player. I hope they can make something work out a little more long-term than one year.”
Right now, things certainly don’t look good as Barkley won’t be present with his Giants teammates at mandatory practice. The two sides have until July 17th to work out a long-term deal, but right now, that looks unlikely to occur.
