The New York Giants made quarterback Daniel Jones one of the highest-paid NFL players so they could place the franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley. Now, some around the NFL are monitoring the situation to see if it backfires on the Giants.
New York signed Jones to a four-year contract worth $160 million early this spring, hours before the deadline to apply the franchise tag. Once the agreement was reached, the Giants immediately placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley.
- Saquon Barkley contract: $10.091 million salary, 2024 free agent
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While the non-exclusive tag allows Barkley to negotiate with other NFL teams, any club that signed him would have to give the Giants two first-round picks. As a result, the Pro Bowl running back has no market in free agency.
Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen admitted on March 27 that the organization hasn’t made Barkely an offer since it placed the franchise tag on him. New York is “fine” with him playing out the 2023 season on the one-year deal.
While that would allow the Giants to keep Jones and Barkley together for the 2023 season, it requires him to sign the franchise tag. Until that happens, it seems many around the league are keeping a close eye on the situation in New York.
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ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote that people around the NFL are “watching closely” for developments in this standoff between Barkley and the Giants. New York made its offers, which fell short of the contract Barkley is seeking.
- Saquon Barkley stats (2022): 1,650 scrimmage yards, 10 total touchdowns, 4.4 ypc
Fowler also noted that some around the league believe there could be ramifications in the Giants’ locker room depending on how things shake out. Barkley’s teammates love him and recognize how important he is for the offense’s success. If the Giants aren’t making reasonable offers to Barkely, in the players’ eyes, it could have an impact on the perceptions of the front office.
Barkley could sit out training camp as long as the franchise tag remains unsigned and he could even holdout into the regular season. However, Barkley will need to return by Week 10 in order to be paid in 2023 and to become a free agent next offseason.