Jan 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: NFC Divisional Round-New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
(East Rutherford, NJ) – Lost in the shuffle of this brutal New York Giants season has been the underlying reality that star running back Saquon Barkley’s future is far from settled.
Last offseason, as things were feeling more optimistic for the Giants, fans were more or less OK with the idea that Barkley would be getting the franchise tag. Some felt he deserved a long term deal, others preferred to see the running back traded to a more “complete” team as New York undergoes a rebuilding period.
Ultimately, Barkley signed his franchise tag tender – albeit with an altered structure – and he’s played this season on the tag. He’s also dealt with injuries, most notably a high ankle sprain suffered at the end of the team’s week two win over Arizona, which cost Barkley several weeks. Now, with the team 2-8 and going nowhere fast, the fanbase is thinking about next year.
First, an offseason looms – and round two of “what should happen with Saquon.” It’s been a busy season for Barkley when he has been on the field – he’s already carried the ball 139 times for 568 yards, and hauled in 23 receptions for 105 more yards. That’s despite his missing three games.
The high workload isn’t lost on Barkley. And neither is the resulting wear-and-tear. “When you’re a premier back in this league, not to talk about myself, they feed you the ball because it gives you an opportunity to win games more times than not. And then when it comes to contracts or a certain time, you’re a running back, you have so much miles on you. It’s a crazy thought process.”
His comments are well founded in the sense NFL front offices routinely show a tendency not to sign older running backs to deals, citing the mileage they’ve already incurred – and the fact this tends to make players less effective as they age. Barkley was asked on Thursday how he balances the need to secure his financial future, while also trying to help the team win games: “I try my best not to think about that or I would go insane, so I just try to keep focusing on the love of the game and taking care of my body. Whenever the opportunity comes that I have to talk about contracts again — whether it’s with the Giants or with another team — hopefully I’m able to pull the film or pull up numbers to be able to get myself a contract that’s best for me and my family.”
Barkley has repeatedly said he wants to stay in New York over the long haul, and has suggested it would mean a lot to him if he was a Giant “for life.” But he also acknowledged the possibility of playing elsewhere – potentially as soon as next season. Barkley said, “loyalty means nothing. No matter how loyal, no matter how committed you are, it’s a business at the end of the day. That’s something that I’ve learned, so for me the way I try to handle that is not really focus on that, try my best not to think about it.”
The 26-year-old Bronx native is keeping things in perspective – and maintaining a realistic mindset. He knows people will continue to speculate about his future until he signs a long-term contract somewhere – New York or otherwise: “I feel like every week I have to answer a question about it. … (but) that’s the only time it really crosses my mind.”
