The New York Giants lost Saquon Barkley to a division rival this offseason after they played hardball in contract negotiations with the star running back, and general manager Joe Schoen says there was a very straightforward reason for that.
In the most recent episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which aired on Tuesday night, Schoen spoke in a personnel meeting about the decision to not re-sign Barkley. The GM pointed to the fact that quarterback Daniels Jones is playing on a four-year, $160 million contract.
“You’re paying the guy $40 million. It’s not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back,” Schoen said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that includes $26 million guaranteed. There were reports that the Giants had offered roughly the same amount annually, though they were not willing to guarantee as much.
Schoen’s remark may have sounded like a challenge to Jones, but Schoen insists he still believes in Jones. He also spoke about the struggles the Giants have had along their offensive line and said even Patrick Mahomes could not have won games under the circumstances with which Jones dealt.
Beware that the clip contains cursing:
“I’m not giving up on him” Joe Schoen on Daniel Jones pic.twitter.com/edYADaLRug
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) July 3, 2024
Jones is owed $35.5 million in guaranteed money this season. That huge figure is likely the primary reason the Giants are going to give him one more chance to prove he is capable of winning games in the NFL. There have been some reports indicating the team is down on Jones, but Schoen is at least giving the impression that he does not feel that way.
Most teams choose not to spend big on running backs, and the rising cost of a starting quarterback is the primary reason for that. Plenty of other executives would agree with what Schoen said.
