Appearing at his youth football camp this weekend, disgruntled New York Giants star Saquon Barkley spilled the tea on his ongoing contract dispute.
Barkley is willing to take it to the limit.
The two-time Pro Bowl running back suggested that he’s willing to sit out the season if a compromise can’t be reached.
“I’m not looking to set any contract records,” said Barkley, confirming he will not attend the team’s mandatory minicamp later this week. “My goal is just to be compensated respectfully based on my contributions to the team on the field and in the locker room.”
Prioritizing quarterback Daniel Jones, the recipient of a four-year, $160-million extension, the Giants elected to use the $10.1-million franchise tag on Barkley, which he has yet to sign. Barkley enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2022, rushing for a career-high 1,312 yards while helping the Giants end a six-year playoff drought.
However, Barkley’s injury history combined with the relatively short shelf life of running backs have made the Giants understandably wary of a long-term commitment.
“I’ve been in talks with the Giants throughout the offseason,” said Barkley, who ranked fourth in rushing yards last season behind only Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb. “If at some point, there’s a deal that is fair to both sides on the table, I’ll be ready to sign.”
Two important deadlines loom for the Giants and Barkley with July 15th representing the final day the sides can strike a long-term deal, followed by the start of training camp on July 27th.
Losing Barkley for any amount of time would be a crushing blow to a Giants offense that ranked fourth in rushing yards per game (148.2) but only 26th in passing (185.7) last season.
About Jesse Pantuosco
Jesse Pantuosco joined Awful Announcing as a contributing writer in May 2023. He’s also written for Audacy and NBC Sports. A graduate of Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a master’s degree in creative writing from Fairfield University, Pantuosco has won three Fantasy Sports Writers Association Awards. He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut and never misses a Red Sox, Celtics or Patriots game.