Things have gone south for the New York Giants pretty quickly. That has led to trade speculation surrounding star running back Saquon Barkley. Could a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers make a play to acquire him?
The Giants were expected to be postseason contenders going into 2023, particularly after they won nine games and surprisingly won a playoff games last year. However, New York is not exactly playing the part through the first five weeks of the season, as it has gone just 1-4 and has the 31st-ranked offense in the NFL.
Not only that, but running back Saquon Barkley has been sidelined for the past three games due to an ankle injury.
With the Giants appearing to be out of the NFC playoff hunt, could they trade Barkley?
Could The Pittsburgh Steelers And New York Giants Pull Off A Saquon Barkley Trade?
New York was unable to reach a long-term agreement with Barkley prior to the season, meaning the star halfback will hit the free-agent market in the spring.
All indications are that the Giants do not want to pay the 26-year-old what he wants, and the fact that he is hurt yet again probably isn’t doing a whole lot to sway New York the other way.
Should the Giants place Barkley on the trade block between now and the Oct. 31 NFL deadline, the Pittsburgh Steelers would get on the phone and try to strike a deal.
The Steelers rank 30th in the league in rushing offense, as third-year back Najee Harris has not been getting the job done. Harris is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and has never logged four yards per attempt in any one season. He isn’t a very efficient back, so Pittsburgh could certainly use a change in its backfield.
Perhaps the Steelers could entice the Giants by offering them a 2024 second-round draft pick in exchange for Barkley?
When healthy, there is no doubting that Barkley is one of the game’s best at his position. Pittsburgh is 3-2 and is in first place in the AFC North, so bringing Barkley aboard for the stretch run could be the major difference maker in that division.
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