Aaron Jones’ Packers deal should help the Giants in negotiations with Saquon Barkley
When will Saquon Barkley and the NY Giants agree to terms on a new deal? That’s the question that so many fans have on their minds, as the hope is that something can get done in the near future. However, the two sides may be a bit apart in the number that they’re eyeing, which could delay things.
In the fall, the Giants reportedly offered Saquon a deal worth $12 million a season, which he turned down. It feels like $14-15 million is the range Barkley is looking for. However, the Giants will be hesitant to pay him that kind of dough.
What could help Joe Schoen here is that Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones just agreed to a new deal with the team for $11 million. Schoen must show this to Barkley and let him know that anything north of $14 million won’t get done.
A resolution: Instead of being released, Aaron Jones will be staying in Green Bay this season after the Packers and his agents, Drew Rosenaus and Ryan Matha, reached agreement on an $11 million salary for the 2023 season that includes an $8.52 million signing bonus. pic.twitter.com/QHIkiqTove
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 17, 2023
Aaron Jones reported money with the Packers is good news for the Giants
While Barkley had a better year than Jones in 2022, the Packers standout has been more durable and impressive with the ball in his hands in recent campaigns. The fact that the Packers were able to bring him back to town for $11 million is pretty impressive work from general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Jones saw his workload drop a bit in ’22 thanks to fellow running back A.J. Dillon, but he was still a stud for Green Bay and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Barkley of course took his game to a new level this past fall, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time since his rookie season. His injury history is something that can’t be forgotten, though.
With that said, NY can’t afford to break the bank to bring him back. Schoen already made a statement by putting $12 million a year in front of him – which at the time wasn’t good enough for No. 26.
It feels like middle ground between the two sides could be around $13.5 million. If that’s also not good enough for Barkley, then Big Blue inking him to a multi-year contract may not happen. If Jones is commanding $11 million, there’s no reason for Barkley to be getting $4-5 million more. This is something Schoen will surely have in the back of his mind as negotiations go on.
