ESPN’s NFL insider, Dan Graziano, has raised the possibility that New York Giants’ General Manager, Joe Schoen, might extend running back Saquon Barkley’s contract, even if he opts to use the franchise tag for the second consecutive year.

“The Giants could place the franchise tag on him again, this time for $12.1M. But he wasn’t happy about being tagged in March and likely won’t be happy if they do it again. It’s unlikely the Giants’ stance on a big, long-term deal for Barkley has changed, but perhaps the Jonathan Taylor deal offers the framework for a compromise.”

In particular, it was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, via Stephen Holder, that Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts secured a three-year, $42 million extension with $26.5 million guaranteed last fall.

In contrast, last spring, Barkley’s camp declined a “three-year deal in the $13 million per season range.” This happened after quarterback Daniel Jones agreed to a four-year contract.

However, it remains uncertain what kind of offer Barkley will receive from Schoen this time around. Several factors come into play, such as Barkley’s advancing age, his injury-prone history, and his three-game absence during the recent season due to an ankle issue.

Barkley publicly implored Schoen to expedite contract negotiations after Week 18 and urged him not to wait until the March 5 deadline for teams to use their franchise tags if there is no genuine intention to allow the 26-year-old running back to explore the open market.

More recently, Barkley, who is a team captain and a beloved figure among fans, hinted in an interview that he could envision himself wearing a different team’s uniform next season.

Despite his discontent over the lack of a long-term contract last summer, Barkley reported to training camp on time. He might have to settle for another adjusted one-year deal if he is tagged before the March 5 deadline.

In the first half of 2023, Saquon Barkley faced criticism from many within the NFL community for delegating certain business decisions to his representatives. However, as of now, there is no indication that he is willing to offer the Giants any significant discount as negotiations continue into February.

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