Saquon Barkley could take 1 drastic step amid contract dispute
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
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants have until Monday to agree to a long-term contract extension, and the star running back is reportedly prepared to stay away from the team for quite a while if that does not happen.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported on Wednesday that Barkley will consider sitting out in Week 1 if he does not have a long-term contract in place. The two sides remain at a “stalemate” in negotiations after Barkley was given the franchise tag.
As we near the deadline for the Giants and Saquon Barkley to strike a long-term deal, I’m told the two sides remain at a stalemate. The deadline to strike a long-term deal is Monday 4pm.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) July 12, 2023
Saquon Barkley has made it clear the franchise tag is undesirable. I’m told his availability for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys will be in serious question if he does not get a long-term deal from the Giants.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) July 12, 2023
There has already been talk of Barkley sitting out training camp, which would not be ideal for the Giants. The former No. 2 overall pick is the focal point of New York’s offense and once again proved his worth last season with 1,650 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns.
Threatening to sit out regular-season games and actually following through are two entirely different things. Le’Veon Bell skipped an entire season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018, and he was never the same player after. He still went on to sign a huge contract with the New York Jets, however.
Barkley has made it clear that he is frustrated with the way the Giants have handled his contract situation. One offer could change that, but it sounds like the two sides have a lot of work to do in the coming days.