The New York Giants have a Saquon Barkley problem. The G-Men faced a conundrum during the offseason: how do they keep both Barkley and QB Daniel Jones? Their solution was the good ol' franchise tag on Barkley. However, the star running back is seemingly unhappy with this decision, opting not to sign his franchise tag tender. That has to worry some fans, right? However, GM Joe Schoen said that they will be negotiating with Barkley sooner rather than later, per Jordan Raanan.
“Yeah, we'll talk this coming week now that the draft is over, kind of reconvene, see if [a new offer] makes sense or not. Have dialogue now that the draft is over. Yeah, we'll have conversations with him,” Schoen said. “We had conversations last week.”
Barkley still hasn't signed his franchise tag tender, and he's not participating in the Giants' voluntary workouts. The expectation was that Barkley would receive a new contract with the team after a return to form in 2022. However, the front office instead prioritized an extension for Jones.
We've seen players “decline” their franchise tags by sitting out for the entirety of the tag duration. The most infamous recent example is LeVeon Bell missing the entire 2018 season after the Pittsburgh Steelers offered him the franchise tag. It's a gamble for any player, but if Barkley doesn't get the money he's asking for, he might consider this option.
Does Saquon Barkley deserve a lucrative contract? After two injury-filled seasons, the star running back bounced back in 2022, helping lead New York to the Divisional Round. However, concerns about his nagging injuries will continue to haunt him. Hopefully, both sides find a proper middle ground to keep Saquon in the Big Apple.
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