The New York Giants reportedly are not going to use the franchise tag for running back Saquon Barkley for the second year in a row, meaning that he will hit the free agent market, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Giants used the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley last offseason, and could have used it again, which would have meant the running back would get just over $12 million for the 2024 season. Instead, Barkley will hit the open market and be free to negotiate with all 32 teams.
Reporting over recent weeks indicates that the Giants will still try to retain Barkley on a long-term deal, but only time will tell if that will happen.
The Giants are also going to have to make a decision regarding safety Xavier McKinney, who could be a candidate for either the franchise tag or the transition tag. The team will likely try its hardest to agree to a long-term deal with Xavier McKinney before today's 4 p.m. deadline.
Still, with the news that the Giants are not going to use the franchise tag on Barkley, it means that the most likely outcome is his tenure with the team comes to an end. A long-term deal with the running back is still possible, but with the two sides unable to come to an agreement after many attempts since the middle of the 2022 season, it seems unlikely.
Saquon Barkley's Giants career
The Giants selected Barkley with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Some were thrilled with the pick, while others were critical because of the value of the running back position.
Regardless, Barkley hit the ground running in his first year, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2018, flashing the ability that had some, including former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, thinking the running back would be wearing a gold jacket and go to the hall of fame one day.
However, in 2019 Barkley missed time with an ankle sprain. Still, he flashed that ability. But it foreshadowed what happened in the next few years. A torn ACL cut Barkley's 2020 season short after playing in just two games. In 2021, Barkley performed poorly behind a bad offensive line, and was clearly not the same coming off of his ACL injury.
However, Barkley returned to great form in 2022, leading to him being tagged by Joe Schoen the following offseason. The 2023 season brought more frustration for Barkley, as the offensive line limited his production, though he still flashed ability when rarely given running room.
Now, Barkley will hit the open market, and he might never wear a Giants uniform again.
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