Saquon Barkley Shares Frustrations Over Giants Contract Negotiations
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley recently opened up regarding his feelings following the failed negotiations with the team to break a months-long contract impasse and reach a multiyear deal.
In an appearance on the “The Money Matters” podcast that dropped July 11, a week before the NFL deadline for teams to complete negotiations with their franchise-tagged players on long-term deals, Barkley offered some insight into his thinking and his plans, all of which revealed a young man who is disappointed yet conflicted about how things turned out.
Barkley, who provided a glimpse into his contract talks with the team, revealed that the guaranteed money offered wasn’t cutting it and that it played a big part in the impasse. He then reiterated what he told reporters at his youth football camp a few weeks ago: he hasn’t ruled out sitting out all or part of the upcoming season.
“My leverage is I could say, ‘F–k you’ to the Giants, I could say, ‘F–k you to my teammates, and be like, ‘You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down.’ And that’s a play I could use,” Barkley said.
But as he spoke, it was clear that deep down, Barkley, who has also in the past spoken of his love for the game and his teammates, really doesn’t want to go down that road.
“Anybody [who] knows me knows that’s not something I want to do. Is it something that’s crossed my mind? I never thought I would ever do that, but now I’m at a point where I’m like, ‘Jesus, I might have to take it to this level.’
“Am I prepared to take it to this level? I don’t know,” he continued. “That’s something I have to sit down and talk to my family, talk to my team [of contract advisers], and strategize about this. Can’t just go off emotions.”
For now, Barkley isn’t expected to report to training camp when the veterans must show up next Tuesday. Since he has yet to sign the $10.1 million franchise tag, Barkley cannot be fined by the Giants for missing camp. However, money matters come into play if he begins skipping regular season games, as his absence would cost him about $560,000 per week, a sum that would be credited back to the Giants’ salary cap, therefore benefitting the team.
The thought is that while Barkley will skip most of camp, he will eventually show up, perhaps just after the Giants play their final preseason game this summer, sign the tag, and spend the time getting himself in football shape for the team’s regular-season home opener against Dallas on September 10.
It’s also possible that if Barkley can get a few concessions from the Giants regarding the tag, he could show up sooner. Although he can’t receive a multiyear deal, Barkley can get a bit more beyond the $10.1 million franchise tag cost, plus a concession by the Giants that they won’t use the franchise tag on him again next year.
From the Giants perspective, if they were willing to offer a deal worth $11 million per season as their last offer, upping the franchise tag amount to that fully guaranteed total might not be a bad move.
But as far as promising not to use the franchise tag on Barkley a second time, the team might want to wait to see how the other running backs perform in camp before making any promises.
Barkley also expressed frustration over how he described the Giants as viewing him as a player, which potentially set the stage for the team’s hardline negotiating stance. He explained, “My [comparison] was two running backs who really aren’t used in the pass-catching game, more downhill runners — great running backs. [The Giants] already showed me their hand: They told me my comp, and I know their [pay]. If that’s what you are telling me, and I know what they signed for, what are we really talking about?
“After hearing that, they tell you, ‘This is the type of player you are.’ I’m like, ‘Eh, no. I can catch the ball. I had 91 catches, the rookie record for running back,” he said, also acknowledging that most of his 91 receptions as a rookie were dump-offs and screens.
Barkley, who said on the podcast that he considers himself the best running back out there, continued to sound conflicted as he spoke during the podcast, saying, “I can try to get as much money as I can, but what really matters is winning. I know if I’m able to help bring a championship to New York, that’s going to go miles more ahead than this contract.”
If that’s his thinking, it won’t behoove him to skip any games. But with emotions running high in the days leading to the deadline and the failure to snap the impasse, Barkley will take time to clear his head and think things through before taking his next step.
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