The New York Giants will hold their mandatory minicamp this week, but it does not appear that Saquon Barkley will be attending.
Barkley was given the franchise tag by the Giants in March, but he has yet to sign. Whether Barkley is dissatisfied with his contract negotiations or not, the Giants running back is doubtful if a long-term deal with the franchise can be reached.
Barkley is unsure whether he will sign and accept the $10.091 million salary on the tag for 2023.
“I think they’re open to talking. I’m open to talking,” Barkley said, via ESPN. “I think at the end of the day, if you really break it down and look at it as a whole, there is no rush. There is still time on the table to get to July 17. July 17 is not tomorrow. It’s not in a week.
“That is how I look at it. Maybe that is the naïve way to look at it, I could be completely wrong. But for me, that’s how I look at it. I could be completely wrong. Hopefully. I trust in the Giants that we could get something done.”
ESPN reported Barkley turned down a deal from the Giants that could have been worth close to $14 million per season earlier this year.
Barkley said he would consider sitting out — though he has admitted that he hadn’t thought about it much so far.
“That comes up in the conversation if something doesn’t get done by July 17 … At the end of the day, it’s all about respect. That is really what it is,” Barkley said, via ESPN.
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During the 2022 season, Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards and had 10 touchdowns while also matching a team-high with 57 receptions, and he helped the Giants into the postseason for the first time in his career. The team also defeated the Minnesota Vikings as well.
It’s unclear what deal Barkley is looking for, but if he wants to bring something to the table, he can point to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who is the highest-paid running back in the NFL at just more than $16 million per season.
A $14 million-per-year deal would make Barkley the third-highest-paid running back in the league.
What this all boils down to is that if a deal isn’t reached, Barkley can either sign the tag and play the 2023 season at that salary or choose to hold out until either they sign the tag or get a new deal done.
Otherwise, the Giants’ offense will be looking different without him on the field should he choose to hold out.
