To be around Saquon Barkley is to know he is team first. No one plays harder. No one wants to win more than he does. No one cares more about being there for his teammates. But it’s time for Barkley to think about himself. It’s time for him to put “me first” instead of “team first.”
The reality of Barkley’s summer-long contract saga with the New York Giants took hold Sunday when the running back suffered a significant ankle injury in the final minutes of the New York Giants 31-28 come-from-way-behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz. An MRI confirmed the low ankle sprain, which is good news compared to the season-ending alternative the Cleveland Browns are facing having lost running back Nick Chubb to a devastating leg injury on Monday night.
Therein lies the dilemma for Barkley. ESPN described his injury as an “ordinary” ankle sprain that will keep him out for three weeks. Other reports have Barkley on a week-to-week basis. Others are pointing to an Oct. 8 return in Miami against the Dolphins. And Giants head coach Brian Daboll on Tuesday didn’t rule out Barkley playing Thursday against the 49ers.
Rest assured Barkley will do everything he can to be back as fast as possible, but he should resist his inner Superman. He should not return until he’s 100 percent, pain-free, and ready to give himself the best chance to get a better contract next season.
Saquon Barkley contract issue and most-recent injury
It is well-documented how running backs are struggling to get a contract they believe worthy of their value. Barkley, 26, sought a long-term deal with the Giants, but negotiations broke down and at one point he erased the Giants from all of his social media platforms.
Just before training camp started, Barkley signed a one-year adjusted franchise tag worth up to $11 million. The contract includes $900,000 in incentives and avoided any hold-out drama. Now he is injured two weeks into the season and staring at the possibility of his value being further diminished. If Barkley returns too soon and he’s less than 100 percent, he could aggravate the ankle injury to the point his production is limited or he has to miss more games.
That’s not just a bad scenario for the Giants, it would eliminate any leverage Barkley might have heading into 2024. A second franchise tag might go from a no-brainer to “let’s think about it.” That’s why he shouldn’t return until he’s 100% healthy.
The plight of running backs in the NFL has been a cautionary tale. Christian McCaffrey is the highest-paid running back averaging $16 million per season; the Saints’ Alvin Kamara is getting $15 million; the Titans’ Derrick Henry is at $12.5 million and Chubb is at $12.2 million. Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, Dalvin Cook and Tony Pollard all sought long-term deals but owners resisted citing the position’s proficiency for injury and production decline at age 30.
Barkley, Jacobs, and Pollard eventually signed franchise deals, while Taylor is still holding out. Cook signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets worth $8.6 million.
Barkley should know his body. He enjoyed a healthy rookie season but missed three games in 2019 with a right ankle sprain, the same as his current injury. When he returned it took him eight games to rush for more than 100 yards in the game.
He missed 14 games in 2020 after tearing his right ACL, and in 2021 he sat for four games with a high left ankle sprain. It took him seven games after returning from that injury to rush for 100 yards for the only time that season.
The Giants need his production as a runner, receiver, and leader. He played all but two of the Giants’ 67 offensive plays Sunday and scored touchdowns running and receiving in the come-from-behind win. Daboll’s suggestion Barkley could be ready Thursday could be gamesmanship or a bit of subtle peer pressure. “He’s a lot better maybe I thought he would be or some other thought he would be today,” Daboll said Tuesday.
Barkley shouldn’t return until he’s 100 percent. Following Thursday’s game against the 49ers, the Giants have two more Monday night games on Oct. 2 against the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium and the Dolphins game Oct. 8 in Miami. The season is still young.
Barkley needs to think more about himself right now than the Giants.
George Willis is a columnist for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.