The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley have until Monday to reach an agreement on a long-term deal before things get messy. And by all accounts, they’re not close to doing that.
Despite various rumors about what the Giants have offered Barkley — many of which the Pro Bowler has shot down — no real number figures have been released. Or at least that was the case until Thursday.
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that the Giants have offered Barkley just $19.5 million in guaranteed money, which comes in below the $22.2 million guaranteed he would receive from back-to-back franchise tags.
Breaking: #Giants best offer to Saquon Barkley so far included $19.5M guaranteed, per sources.
Two franchise tags would guarantee him $22.2M. As one independent agent said about that $19M number, ‘No deal to be done that low.’ @nypostsports
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) July 13, 2023
That, of course, is not going to be enough to get things done.
Barkley, who has no desire to play on the franchise tag, is looking at a floor of $22.2 million guaranteed over the next two seasons. And despite the leverage held by the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen, there’s no reason for Barkley to accept anything less.
Even with the running back market hitting a lull, the $19.5 million in guarantees would be considered low compared to others around the league.
- Christian McCaffrey: $36 million
- Alvin Kamara: $34 million
- Derrick Henry: $25 million
- Nick Chubb: $20 million
Barkley added to his representation in June and while there has been limited communication in the past week, there remains some optimism the gap can be bridged by Monday’s deadline.
