Star running back Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants found themselves mired in a contract stalemate this past offseason.
New York placed the dreaded franchise tag on the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year during the spring. Barkley refused to sign the tender, acting as a holdout throughout the offseason program. While the stud running back did ultimately sign a one-year deal worth $10-plus million, his long-term future in Jersey remains very much up in the air.
With New York boasting a 1-5 record and having lost four consecutive games, rumors continue to swirl that the team will be looking to sell off veterans ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
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Barkley, 26, touched on these rumors ahead of Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders. Unlike other players involved in trade talks, the former Penn State star made it clear that he does not want to be dealt.
“Sitting here, everyone knows how I feel. Everyone knows I don’t want to get traded,” Barkley said. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want to get traded anywhere. It’s not an easy thing to do. You have to move. I have a family. I would love to be here.
But like I said, it’s not in my control. My focus is to be the leader I can be for this team and get this thing on the right track.”
Saquon Barkley on trade rumors, via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan
As Barkley noted, it might not be under his control. New York was unwilling to commit to him on a long-term contract this past offseason. With the injury-plagued running back set to become a free agent, the Giants simply might want to get some draft capital for him.
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Saquon Barkley stats (2023): 207 rushing yards, 3.9 average, 13 receptions, 46 yards, 2 TD
Barkley has missed three games this season due to a high-ankle sprain. He missed all but two games back in 2020 to injury and sat out four games in 2021 before being relatively healthy a season ago.
When actually on the field, he’s a dynamic threat. That was magnified back in 2022 when Barkley went for 1,640 total yards and 10 touchdowns en route to earning his second career Pro Bowl appearance.
The question here is whether another team would be willing to meet the Giants’ potential asking price in an NFL that does not value running backs at the clip of other skill positions.