When healthy, Saquon Barkley is one of the premier running backs in the NFL, but NY Giants GM Dave Gettleman admitted Tuesday that Barkley’s health is a going concern when it comes to how committed the organization is to the former No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
Barkley, of course, tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season, less than a year removed from suffering a high-ankle sprain that kept him out of three games and limited him for much of the 2019 campaign.
Those injuries could play a factor in the NY Giants signing Barkley to a long-term contract, and according to Gettleman, could weigh on whether the team even picks up his fifth-year option.
"“Well, I think that’s part of the discussion,” Gettleman said. “And obviously we’re going to have to make a decision in the spring on whether we pick up his fifth-year option or not. You know, again, it comes back to that medical question. It’s unknown and what you have to do is get your trainer and your doctors involved and make your best decision.”"
Barkley is entering his fourth NFL season, the final year of his contract, but because he was a first-round pick, the Giants can exercise his fifth-year option for the 2022 campaign before attempting to come to terms on a long-term agreement, if they choose.
It has been a turbulent two seasons for Barkley, since leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage as a rookie in 2018. Barkley did rush for 1,003 yards with six touchdowns in 2019, but averaged just 4.6 yards per carry and only eclipsed 100-yards in two games since suffering his high-ankle sprain in 2019.
It is completely understandable for the NY Giants to want to see Barkley prove he is fully healthy and the same player after his latest injury, before committing premium money over a long-term contract to the running back. Likewise, Barkley would be foolish not to want some sort of security before stepping back onto the field in 2021.
Time will tell if this becomes a stare down between the Giants and their star running back, but it sure sounds as though Gettleman is not going to rush into a commitment of any kind.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.