Kayvon Thibodeaux Says Giants Mishandled Saquon Barkley Contract Situation

Thibodeaux spoke up for his Giants teammate.

Kayvon Thibodeaux still isn't happy with how the New York Giants handled teammate Saquon Barkley's contract situation. 

The Giants used the franchise tag on Barkley last March, to the chagrin of the running back, who was in a holdout until July. Making matters even worse for Barkley was the fact that New York opted to hand quarterback Daniel Jones the long-term security that he so desperately wanted, inking the signal-caller to a four-year, $160 million contract in the same offseason. 

Thibodeaux made it clear that he feels that was a mistake during a Thursday appearance on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast with Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero. 

Kayvon saying Saquon Barkley should’ve been paid before Daniel Jones pic.twitter.com/s0TNw1wjsf

— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) January 25, 2024

“What I’m mad about—if you look at the game, the tape. Saquon was responsible for at least 30 percent of our explosive plays,” Thibodeaux said. “Talking about the year we won the playoff game. For me, and for the integrity of working together and we all believe the same things, I feel like Saquon should have gotten paid first.”

It’s not often you hear a player openly talk about which teammate he felt was more deserving of getting paid, but that’s what Thibodeaux did—and you can bet that he’s not the only Giants player who feels that way. 

It will be very interesting to see what the Giants do with Barkley, a free agent, this offseason. Thibodeaux and the rest of the team will be watching.