Saquon Barkley wants to 'leave a legacy' with Giants
Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants runs the ball in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
With the Giants' season down to a single game, Saquon Barkley took stock Wednesday of his season and, more broadly, his Giants career.
There is a chance that Sunday, against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium, he will play the final game as a Giant.
“Obviously, that's a possibility,” Barkley said Wednesday in the locker room. “A lot of that's out of my control. The biggest thing is this locker room. So, cherish the moments and go out there and try to go off on a high note.”
If the Giants could actually beat the Eagles, that would represent a high note. Since Barkley was drafted in 2018, he has a personal record against Philadelphia of 1-7.
For Barkley, there were bigger picture questions to answer on this day.
Especially as a running back, he knows the clock is ticking on his better days.
“I do know that if I'm going to strike, I have to do it now,” Barkley said. “This is probably my last opportunity to get a second deal.”
Barkley, who will turn 27 in February, said he feels great.
“I feel like there's still a lot left in me,” he said. “So, I'm just going to keep grinding and keep going until I can't anymore.”
Asked if he still wants to be a Giant, Barkley said yes. On that, this season, he has never wavered.
“I've mentioned before that I wanted to be a Giant for life,” he said. “That was a goal of mine when I got drafted. I wanted to leave a legacy here.”
His impact is felt.
“I’d say we want Saquon out on the field as much as possible,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said.
It seems possible, and perhaps likely, that owner John Mara would be consulted before any final decision is made regarding Barkley.
Barkley has become wiser when it comes to the business of the NFL. After playing on a one-year, $10.1-million contract this season, he knows the organization could place the franchise tag on him again this year.
“I don’t think any player wants to get franchise tagged,” he said.
Barkley said he is unsure how the organization views him and his future. At the trade deadline, Barkley’s strong preference was to not be traded. In the days before the deadline, he was assured by management that he would not be.
Barkley’s next chance to address his future with the team will be in end-of-season meetings next week.
Barkley remains on the short list of the Giants' best current players, along with defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.
He is, in many ways, the current face of the organization. For the second time, he is the Giants’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which recognizes players for their work in the community and commitment to philanthropy.
“This place and this organization, they do it the right way,” he said.
"From the people in this building, training staff, coaches, strength staff, all that, they do it the right way from the top down. So, the time is coming. I don't know when that's going to be, I don't know if I'll be here for that when it happens. I would love to be there for that, but if I'm not like I said, I have nothing but the utmost respect for it top down. Top down."
It would seem proper if Barkley were a career-long Giant.
And if he is not, he just wants to be told the truth.
“I feel like it would be the right thing to just shoot me straight,” Barkley said. “Let me know what it’s going to be, let me make my decision and move on from there.”
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
