Could Eagles Rival RB Saquon Barkley Miss Entire Season?

They say winning cures everything, but that didn’t keep the Philadelphia Eagles from losing some players to free agency and having a rather sticky - and public - contract ‘situation’ with cornerback Darius Slay.

In the end, Slay got a new deal and the Eagles kept at least one defensive play-maker in the nest, and that’s important as other NFC East teams look to make moves that will help them unseat Philadelphia as the division’s champion.

Right now, the biggest situation facing a team that matters to the Eagles and their title defense is their NFC East Division rival New York Giants and the stalemate they’re in right now with running back Saquon Barkley.

Apparently, it's a stalemate so strong that it could cost the Giants their star ball-carrier for the 2023 NFL Season.

“That’s a card I could play,” Barkley said recently when asked about the possibility of sitting out the 2023 NFL season if he doesn’t get a new deal from New York. “That comes up in conversation if something don’t get done by July 17… We got a little bit of time in between there. When that date comes up, then I’ll have to sit down with my team, sit down with my family and make decisions. See what we’re going to do. What’s the next game plan? What’s the next move?”

If that next move is sitting out the season, it’ll likely bring up strong memories around the league of when star running back Le’Veon Bell decided to sit out the 2018 NFL Season because of a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bell has since stated that he regrets the move, but his hindsight alone may not keep this Eagles rival from making the same decision.

For the Giants, it’s a mess of a situation that some saw coming after the team decided to pay quarterback Daniel Jones for one decent season over Barkley who, when healthy, is arguably the best back in the league.

Nobody in Philly is going to cry tears for New York if they can’t make it happen.

And the Eagles certainly won’t cut any strategic corners or take the team lightly if they face the Giants without their star running back.

But if we’re being honest, New York without Barkley is a lot less scary than with him.

Here’s hoping they get the chance to prove it.

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