Saquon Barkley hopeful a deal gets done with Giants
Giants running back Saquon Barkley participates in drills during training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 3, 2022. Credit: Noah K. Murray
For the first time since he was given the franchise tag in free agency, Saquon Barkley spoke to reporters at length Sunday night at his youth football camp in New Jersey.
It’s clear that some wounds remain.
Barkley left open the possibility of sitting out the season rather than playing under the franchise tag.
“I think that’s a conversation if nothing gets done by July 17,” the running back said, adding that he will talk with his family and his representation.
The last day for a franchised player to strike a deal with his team is July 17.
“I feel like we finally got to a place where we’re winning games,” Barkley said of the Giants’ playoff run last season. “I feel like I was a big part of that. Not just me only, it takes every single guy on that field to get the job done. But I feel like I was a big part of that.”
He added, “I feel like I’m just entering my prime. I think [the Giants are] open to talking, I’m open to talking. But there’s no rush. We have until July 17.
“My mindset is right now is that everything will take care of itself,” said Barkley, 26, adding that he will return to Arizona to train. “I’m taking it day by day.”
Barkley clearly has been bothered by reports of contract offers that have been leaked.
“Some things that are out there have been misleading,” he said. “I said I wanted to be a Giant for life. But it’s all about respect. I’m not trying to reset the running back market.”
Barkley spoke in his usual measured tones, but he seemed a bit irritated when asked about Giants general manager Joe Schoen publicly declaring he had pulled the offer to Barkley.
“That,” Barkley said, “is for a whole other time.”
Schoen last spoke about the topic in late April, saying, "Nothing's changed since we talked [at the owners meeting March]."
Barkley finished fourth in the NFL with 1,312 rushing yards last season and tied for the team lead with 57 receptions.
Will he be able to add to those Giants number in 2023? Multiple times, he suggested there is plenty of time for a deal to be struck by July 17. But clearly, the clock is ticking.
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.
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