Saquon Barkley made interesting move amid contract talks with Giants

Nov 28, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) during warm ups before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The clock is ticking for Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants to strike a deal. The running back even made an interesting move to try to aid his case.

New York has until Monday, 4 p.m. ET to ink its star running back to a long-term contract. Otherwise, the Giants would then have to wait until the end of the 2023 NFL campaign before talks can resume.

Barkley, who has long been represented by Manhattan-based Roc Nation, reportedly added Los Angeles-based powerhouse agency CAA to his camp in order to help negotiate a more favorable deal. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that Barkley made the move in June but that it has since proved ineffective toward yielding a better offer.

The Giants applied the franchise tag on Barkley back in March after Barkley rebuffed New York’s offer at the time. Barkley turned down another offer during the Giants’ offseason workout program months later. Both of those talks were handled by Roc Nation.

Florio adds that the Giants were not “inclined to re-shuffle the deck or start over” contract talks, insisting that the previous conversations with Roc Nation still provide the framework for the existing negotiations.

Barkley is rumored to be a sit-out candidate for both training camp and the Giants’ Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys if a deal is not reached.

Playing under the franchise tag would pay Barkley a shade over $10 million next season. The Giants’ offer was previously reported at around $13 million in average annual value, while Barkley’s camp is said to be seeking closer to $16 million.