The New York Giants are widely expected to allow running back Saquon Barkley to walk via free agency, but Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox feels differently.

In a piece where Knox predicts contracts for the top free-agent halfbacks, he projects Barkley to remain with the Giants on a three-year, $27 million deal.

That being said, there is a caveat.

Knox qualifies his prediction by saying that Barkley’s contract will be incentive-laden to protect New York against potential injuries.

This makes plenty of sense, as Barkley has a very checkered injury history and has not played a full season since his rookie campaign all the way back in 2018.

As a matter of fact, a high-ankle sprain inhibited Barkley this past year, causing him to miss three games and limiting him even once he returned.

The 27-year-old trudged through a rather disappointing 2023 campaign as a whole, as he rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns while averaging a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry. He also caught 41 passes for 280 yards and four scores.

Barkley, who played his collegiate football at Penn State, was selected by the Giants with the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He made the Pro Bowl during his rookie campaign after racking up 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while logging a robust five yards per attempt. In addition, he hauled in 91 receptions for 721 yards and four scores.

After a solid sophomore year, a torn ACL knocked Barkley out after just two games in 2020, and in 2021, he totaled just 593 rushing yards in 13 games.

He rebounded by rattling off 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground en route to another Pro Bowl selection in 2022.

When healthy, there is no doubting Saquon Barkley’s talent, but his inability to stay on the field will almost surely affect his value in free agency.

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