New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was brutally honest to the media Wednesday about his contract status with the team and what it means for his future in the NFL. According to Dan Martin of The New York Post, a “fresh start” away from the Giants organization has crossed the mind of the star out of Penn State University.
“[Does] a fresh start cross my mind? I guess anybody, when you look at how the season went, I feel like everybody would want a fresh start somewhere else, just a clean slate,” Barkley said. “But that’s how I look at it. If I did hit the open market, hey, that’s God’s plan to go to another team and continue to build a legacy for myself.”
Barkley has said time and time before that he would want to stay in New York for his whole career, but expressed that is not up to him. The skill-position player was realistic in saying that the team has to do what is best for them.
“Um, yeah,” Barkley said. “I’ve mentioned before, I want to be a Giant for life. That was a goal of mine when I got drafted. I wanted to leave a legacy here. It’s out of my control. I have no say. It’s up to those guys upstairs, Joe [Schoen, GM] and those guys. They’ve got to do what’s best for the team, whatever they feel like is best for the team. They’ll make a decision. Me saying, ‘I want to be a Giant for life’ like I did last year, it doesn’t help or it doesn’t hurt, so I’ll leave it to those guys.”
Barkley feels he has juice left in the tank
There has always been a conversation about the true price of a running back and if they are worth it or not. One of the reasons is because of the shelf life of a player in the position due to the wear and tear they put their body through.
Especially when it comes to Barkley, he is 27-years old, the usual age where it is believed by some to be the “beginning of the end” of a running back's peak. Plus, Barkley has had an immense injury history that could turn the Giants away. However, the star believes he has juice left in the tank, though admitting there is not “a whole bunch left.”
“I feel like there’s still a lot left in me,” Barkley said via The New York Post. “Not that there’s a whole bunch left in me. I try to look at backs before me.”
The Giants and Barkley have been back and forth on contract disputes which ended last season with the team putting the franchise tag on the running back. While there is still a chance for an extension, the words from Barkley probably does not put confidence into fans of New York as the star knows the NFL is a business.
“I’m still as open as I was before. I just want something that’s fair [and] that makes sense,” Barkley said. “I think I was open and honest about that last year, I still stick by that. But I get it. It’s a business. Hopefully, if it’s not here, it’s some other place.”
This season, Barkley has rushed for 916 yards with four touchdowns. Through the air, he has 39 catches for 229 yards to go along with his four scores.
Barkley reflecting on his tenure with New York
There is still an option for the Giants to franchise tag Barkley again for the second straight season and while players usually don't like that, it makes sense for the team in terms of the money. If he returns, there is no doubt that he would be a featured player in the team's offense.
Barkley said to the media that in exit meetings, he will have a talk with the team about the way contract conversations were handled. It is no secret that Barkley felt that the process has dragged on way too long.
“We have exit meetings and I’ll definitely have that conversation with them,” Barkley said to The New York Post. “I handled the situation as best as I could. Obviously, as a team year, even as an individual, with the ankle injury, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I feel like to do the right thing, shoot me straight, let me know what it’s gonna be and let me make my decision.”
If Barkley were to leave New York, there is no doubt he would be a huge factor to any team's rushing attack. Despite being 27 years old, he had some exciting seasons with the Giants though it was bogged down by injuries.
“I didn’t think in six years, I’d only be to the playoffs one time or would have torn my ACL my third year,” Barkley said. “I went through a lot of adversity, I feel like I never folded. Every time I got knocked down, I got back up and kept fighting and that’s gonna continue to be my mindset.”
At the end of the day, the Giants are 5-11 with one game left of the season. They face the Philadelphia Eagles in New York's season finale on Sunday.
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