-Ed-Mulholland-USA-TODAY-Sports-72
(New York, NY) — It’ll be awhile before Saquon Barkley suits up for the Giants in any capacity.
According to Newsday, Barkley is not expected to sign his franchise tender before Monday. Next week begins the Giants’ off-season program.
After striking a long-term deal with quarterback Daniel Jones, the Giants franchised tagged Barkley, putting in motion 10 million dollars for Barkley if he were to sign the tag. Despite designating the 26-year-old as their franchise player last month the team has continued contract negotiations with the former No. 2 draft pick.
“I’m not really too concerned with resetting the [running back] market,” Barkley said back in January about contract negotiations. “I’m realistic.”
Reports say Barkley turned down an offer of three to four years worth anywhere from 12 to 12.5 million dollars a season. Under the tag, Saquon is the eighth-highest paid player at his position. According to the New York Post, the star running back is seeking $14 millon per year, thus putting him in the top three at the position.
In a contract year, Barkley put together a masterclass, finishing with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 2022 All-Pro can technically negotiate with other teams under his tag, which is non-exclusive, but the Giants would have the option to match any offer.
While signing Barkley is assumed to be top of mind for the Big Blue brass, it also has to look ahead to the draft, where fans may be expecting a reliable and productive wide receiver to be paired with Jones, whether that’s a rookie or trading assets for a star ready to move on.
If the Giants were smart, they’d cut Saquon
