New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has been a lightning rod from the moment that he entered the NFL as the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Immediately hailed as a fantasy stalwart, Barkley has delivered back-to-back campaigns that have exceeded 1,000 yards on the ground, yet he finds himself near a contract year with no extension in hand.

Another former Giants running back — Brandon Jacobs — discussed why 2020 is so vital for Barkley in a recent interview with MSG 150.

“This year is very important. It’s his third season and he’s getting close to that contract year, and being a running back in that contract year, you’ve got to put up nine million yards in order to get something that’s worth having,” Jacobs said (transcription via Giants Wire). “He’s definitely close and he definitely needs to have a good season.”

As a rookie in 2018, Barkley led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,028. Injuries undoubtedly hampered him throughout '19, keeping him off the field for three games, in addition to likely slowing him during a handful of games in which he was on the field.

Entering 2020, Barkley is both still a fantasy darling and the focal point of the New York offense. It's difficult to imagine what the Giants would look like without him over the last two years, but as Jacobs points out, organizations are notoriously finicky when it comes to doling out significant contracts for running backs.

While the Giants may be reticent to extend Barkley just yet, another season of significant production could warrant exactly what Jacobs was thinking for the electric No. 26: a contract extension with big blue.

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