While Saquon Barkley has taken a public stance on his desire for a new long-term contract, it seems the New York Giants have zero interest in meeting his desired preference for his deal in 2023.
The New York Giants took a calculated risk last offseason when they decided not to complete a long-term extension with starting running back Saquon Barkley and let him play out the final year of his rookie deal. The decision was understandable at the time with the going rate for running backs on a steep decline and the former Penn State star’s issues with injuries and performance in the prior seasons.
Related: New York Giants star reportedly blew two chances at top-5 running back salary
However, Barkley showed he still has the talent that earned him Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season and went on to be the heart of the Giants’ offense in 2022. Scoring a second trip to the Pro Bowl in the process. It gave him a lot of leverage heading into free agency, but unfortunately for him, he never reached the open market after the team placed their 2023 franchise tag on the New York native.
- Saquon Barkley stats (2022): 1,650 total yards, 10 TD, 57 catches
Well, it seems Saquon Barkley is not happy with that designation. On Wednesday it was revealed that he has not signed his franchise tender and does not plan to attend upcoming team workouts. Fox Sports NFL insider Ralph Vacchiano reported after the news broke that the decision was the running back’s way of letting the organization know he is “not happy” playing on a one-year franchise tag for just over $10 million.
New York Giants record (2022): 9-7-1, third place in NFC East
After that original report, Vacchiano added some extra information that isn’t going to change Barkley’s mood on the situation.
“The Giants don’t have much of an interest in signing Saquon Barkley to a long-term deal at this point, I’m told. They tried and failed because the sides weren’t close. The $10.1M franchise tag is a good deal for them and they’re content to leave things that way for now.”
– Ralph Vacchiano
Last month, it was revealed that Saquon Barkley turned down two different offers last year from the New York Giants to make more money than he will in 2023, so he can test the open market. It seems he and his representation misread the market on running backs and they will likely regret passing on those offers.