Coming off their best season since 2016, the New York Giants head into a crucial offseason that will include major decisions to make at quarterback and running back. Now that their rookie contracts have expired, both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley are set for free agency, and each player is expected to command a contract worth at least eight figures annually.
But with the success each player experienced in 2022, it’s hard to envision either athlete seeing themselves thrive even more elsewhere in 2023. The Giants have plenty of cap space, and are projected to have over $44 million to spend this offseason, meaning they have plenty of financial flexibility to pursue a large contract extension for both of their stars.
They also have the franchise tag available, which basically ensures at least one of the two can return to the Big Apple for another season, should a long-term extension be tough to agree on.
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Saquon Barkley reportedly already negotiating with New York Giants
While we could argue until we’re Giants blue in the face about which player should be prioritized in contract extension talks this offseason, early reports suggest general manager Joe Schoen is already negotiating a new deal for Barkley.
The franchise tag for running backs is set to be $10.09 million for the 2023 season, a reasonable amount for a 25-year-old coming off a 1,300-yard season. Especially considering that would still place Barkley as just the ninth-highest-paid running back in 2023.
While Barkley had a strong season in 2022, there’s some skepticism that another franchise would value the running back more than the Giants currently do. This leads one NFL insider to believe the Giants can afford to avoid tagging their tailback and maybe choose to save the tag for their QB instead.
Others believe the Giants will be able to avoid Barkley hitting the market altogether by finding common ground on a contract extension before free agency officially opens on March 15.
If there’s one thing that’s clear, the Giants will be an active team this offseason as they look to maintain their success from 2022. Whether Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley will reprise their roles once again as members of the G-Men in 2023 remains to be seen.