Monday, July 17th is a huge day for the New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley. That afternoon is when the deadline for long-term deals with franchise-tagged players is. If no deal is reached, the only way a player can get on the field is by signing the tender and a long-term deal is off the table until 2024.
That is the predicament that Saquon Barkley finds himself in. The Giants finished an extension with Daniel Jones in the waning moments before the franchise tag deadline earlier this offseason. Once that deal was completed, they used the tag on the former No. 2 pick to ensure he would be with Big Blue for at least one more season.
However, there has been no real movement toward a long-term deal getting done. Saquon Barkley has been miffed by some of the negotiations going public, such as reports of the Giants making offers but rescinding them.
That offer was reportedly worth about $13 million annually that Saquon Barkley turned down. Since that has been taken off the table, no offer has been made. Given the landscape of the running back market, it is easy to understand why general manager Joe Schoen rescinded the offer.
Despite how things are currently for running backs, Saquon Barkley does deserve to be paid. However, it isn’t as much as some people may believe. As shared by Grant Gordon of NFL.com, a market resetting deal isn’t what he is seeking.
“NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Wednesday’s NFL Total Access that Barkley, who had the franchise tag applied to him in March, understands the running back marketplace and is not looking for a market-setting deal. Garafolo added, however, that Barkley and the Giants are no closer on a deal and had not spoken in the days leading up to this week.”
When healthy, Saquon Barkley has proven to be among the best players at his position in the NFL. In 2022 he carried the entire offense as an elite dual-threat out of the backfield. Losing him would cripple the entire unit.
Ultimately, a deal should be able to get done. The Giants want to keep Saquon Barkley and he wants to remain with the franchise. He is too important to the team as a leader on the field and in the locker room to have this linger beyond the Monday deadline.
