Saquon Barkley, the running back for the New York Giants,

recently said he’s thinking about refusing to accept his franchise tag and playing out the entire 2023 season instead. Now, it appears the team has reversed course in the negotiations.

The Giants have reportedly re-offered the deal they had agreed before putting Barkley’s franchise tag on him back in March, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The Giants’ decision to give Barkley the same deal that was on the table when quarterback Daniel Jones agreed to a long-term extension at least demonstrates that lines of communication remain open.

As he has not accepted the franchise tag, Barkley missed the Giants’ OTAs, offseason program, and required minicamp this spring. The parties have until July 17 to agree on a long-term contract or for Barkley to sign the tag.

With no long-term security beyond the 2023 season, Barkley would receive the entire $10.09 million guaranteed under the running back franchise tag this season.

“When I got tagged, did I feel irritated about it? At his yearly youth football camp, Barkley told reporters, “Nobody wants to get tagged. “To sit here and say I was frustrated, I was angry, and I was upset, what really got me upset was the stories that leaked out and how false and misleading they were,”

The consensus among league players is that the Giants and Barkley will eventually come to an agreement.

On the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely about another team, an NFC executive told Heavy, “I really think Barkley’s situation is just haggling.” “And it will be resolved in the end over the summer.”

The Value of Saquon Barkley’s Offer

NJ Advance Media had reported that the Giants had first offered Barkley a deal worth a total of $14 million per year, with an additional $1 million in incentives.

During a visit to his youth camp, Barkley said that previously reported contract information was incorrect. However, assuming the 26-year-old isn’t seeking to reset the running back market, the deal seems like it may work for both parties.

Barkley would earn almost $56 million, making him the third-highest paid running back in the NFL (after Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey) if he met the incentives that would increase the contract’s worth to $14 million APY.

The Giants certainly value Barkley’s contributions to the offense and as the team’s off-field face, as he has often stated throughout his career that he wants to stay with the team. It will be interesting to see if Barkley concurs that the Giants’ offer is a fair representation of those contributions.

However, it is simple to understand why the Giants selected Barkley at a price that doesn’t completely reset the market given the position he plays and how it is perceived throughout the league.

Why the contract negotiations for Saquon Barkley are challenging

The fact that Dalvin Cook was released by the Minnesota Vikings at the age of 27, after rushing for 1,173 yards and 8 touchdowns last season, serves as a reminder of how highly undervalued the running back position has become in the league. Barkley and the Giants have come to this point in their careers.

In the same way, Barkley just finished a career-best season in 2022, rushing for 1,312 yards with 10 touchdowns while adding 57 receptions for 338 yards. These remarkable stats were recorded during a season in which Barkley allayed any worries over the lingering effects of an ACL tear in 2020 and a high ankle injury in 2021 that had limited him.

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The Giants, though, might be persuaded to continue the trend of reducing the position’s danger of injury by not compensating players based on their past success.

Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown told reporters, “Precedent sets the market.” “And we have no control over that. Not us. We strive to predict the future and respond. The market is what it is, so that’s what we did, and precedent determines where it stands in the market.

These worries must be balanced against Barkley’s huge contribution to the offense and his outstanding performance in the last games, which included a two-touchdown performance in the team’s first postseason victory since 2011.

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