After a successful playoff ride, the New York Giants are getting the gang back together. Daniel Jones has signed a four-year $160 million extension, and Saquon Barkley has gotten the franchise tag, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Barkley’s tag will pay him $10.09 million for the 2023 season. Yet, the Giants can still work toward a long-term agreement, just as they did with their starting quarterback. However, the tag does prevent Barkley from hitting the open market as a free agent in the next few weeks, buying general manager Joe Schoen more time to negotiate.
Or, Barkley may opt to play out the year on the tag, despite previously saying he “would be upset” if it came down to the one-year deal with no security attached. Yet, the Pro Bowl back has also indicated a strong desire to return to the Giants, indicating he’s not looking to reset the running back market when it comes to signing a new contract.
- Saquon Barkley stats last season: 295 attempts, 1,312 rushing yards, 10 TDs
For now, the $10 million tag places him in a sixth-place tie among highest-paid running backs, but there’s a sense Barkley wants more. He certainly deserves more after showing he’s back to his elite form with the Giants, going off for 1,650 yards from scrimmage in 16 games last season.
Barkley becomes the third running back to be tagged this offseason, joining 2022 NFL rushing leader Josh Jacobs from Las Vegas and Dallas’ Tony Pollard.
With running back having a short shelf life in the NFL, it would appear teams are much more willing to offer a decent rate up front to ensure a strong ground game, but they won’t want to commit large amounts of cash years down the line. We’ll see if the Giants and other teams alter that mindset by locking in long-term agreements.
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