The New York Giants lost safety, Julian Love, in NFL free agency last week. However, the defensive star likely could have stayed with the team on a better deal than the one he ended up receiving from the Seattle Seahawks.
The Giants entered the offseason with several key players set to hit the free-agent market. For the most part, they were able to re-sign many of those players, including starting quarterback Daniel Jones and Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley.
Related: Re-evaluating the New York Giants NFL Draft approach after first free agency wave
However, one notable name they lost on the NFL free agent market was star safety, Julian Love. The man that led the team in tackles last season took his talents to Seattle on a two-year deal worth $12 million. But it seems that he and his agent misjudged his value and that deal was well below what they were hoping for on the open market.
New York Giants record (2022): 9-7-1, third place in NFC East
On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the New York Giants and Love’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus had contract extension talks during the bye week last season. Unfortunately, talks did not go far since Team Love was looking for a deal worth as much as $10 million annually. Since 11 different players at the position had signed deals worth at least that much since 2021.
- Julian Love stats (2022): 124 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended
But Julian Love and his agent miscalculated, and besides Jessie Bates III landing a big deal from the Atlanta Falcons this year, the value for safeties in 2023 NFL free agency decreased significantly from years past. Leaving talented players like Love and Eagles star Chauncey Gardner-Johnson having to settle for far less than they expected with other teams.
According to The Athletic, what the 25-year-old will receive from Seattle is “slightly less per year than the Giant’s in-season offer.” While New York may not have offered much more than $6 million annually, they still were willing to pay more, and Julian Love ended up leaving money on the table and a situation he was comfortable with in the New York Giants.
We shall see if he regrets that decision or not in the next two years.