New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is not under contract for the 2023 season. His current offer from the team is the one-year, $10.1 million franchise tender he is not willing to sign.
Barkley is seeking a long-term extension. His desire is to be a Giant for life. That is the Giants’ desire as well. At least it’s John Mara’s.
“My dream is that he plays his whole career as a Giant like Eli (Manning) did, like (Michael) Strahan did, like Tiki (Barber) did,” Mara said earlier this offseason. “I mentioned to him, ‘Look what they’re doing off the field now.’ I think he would like that as well. We’d love to have him. He provides leadership. He’s a great player. We’d like to get something done with him at some point.”
All true. What is also true is Barkley’s stance is not unreasonable. At least according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“There’s no real movement on a contract yet, but neither side is panicking because they have about a month until that July 17 training camp deadline. Barkley is due to make $10.1 million. He wants more security on a long-term deal. I’m told his asks have been pretty reasonable,” Fowler said on “SportsCenter.” “He just wants a good structure and a guarantee. He doesn’t want flimsy guarantees, and he wants something that will pay him out in the first couple of years as, you know, a well-accomplished back and Pro Bowl-type player. The Giants ownership really values Barkley. They see him as a potential Giant for life, so could step in to try to get something done closer to the deadline.”
So what’s the holdup?
Barkley reportedly rejected a deal that would have paid him up to $14 million per year with incentives. The Giants pulled the offer after that. Then, after assigning the franchise tag to Barkley in March, the running back market crashed. His value, per Spotrac, is listed at $12.3 million per year.
If you’re following the math, there’s very little middle ground here. Barkley is threatening to hold out come training camp if the two sides can’t come to an agreement by the franchise tag deadline of July 17.
Barkley has said he isn’t trying to reset the running back market. Rather, he just wants his fair value and there’s no reason for the Giants to play hardball here.
The real rub has to be the guarantees and the years. The Giants don’t want to be locked into a running back for the long term at that price. The Giants’ front office and offensive brain trust all come from running-back-by-committee programs, and there is no real need for a bell-cow back.
Considering the dead running back market (see: Dalvin Cook, Kareem Hunt, etc.) the Giants really don’t have to push the matter other than Mara’s overtures.
On the other hand, Barkley is more than just your run-of-the-mill back and player. He is a valuable cog in the Giants’ community and a fan favorite. His demands aren’t unreasonable, but he appears to be a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.
