New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley sounds like he has learned some hard lessons regarding loyalty in contract talks.
Barkley was asked Thursday whether he felt his loyalty to the organization and his willingness to accept a high workload would help him get a new contract, whether from the Giants or from another team. The running back shot down that notion quite quickly.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley was asked if being a good soldier and handling a huge workload would be viewed as a benefit when it came to getting a new contract, whether it be in NY or elsewhere, because of his loyalty to the organization.
Barkley: "Loyalty means nothing. Loyalty,…
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 16, 2023
“Loyalty means nothing. Loyalty, that don’t mean nothing,” Barkley said. “No matter how loyal, no matter how committed you are, it’s a business at the end of the day. That is something that I have learned.”
Barkley’s comments likely stem from his offseason contract dispute with the Giants, which only ended when Barkley backed down from a threat to sit out games after the Giants used the franchise tag on him. Barkley later admitted that he felt sitting out games would hurt his value in free agency.
Barkley clearly does not sound like he expects special consideration from the Giants, and might not be willing to give it to them either. He has rushed for 568 yards and one touchdown on the season and is eligible to become a free agent again at the end of the season.
