With the window officially open for the NY Giants to use the franchise tag on either Saquon Barkley or Xavier McKinney, fans are following things quite closely. However, it's not looking likely at all that Joe Schoen will tag No. 26 for the second consecutive year.
Should that be the case, then Schoen and the front office will look to try and get a multi-year deal done with the two-time Pro Bowler. Last offseason, though, the negotiations went south and Barkley was not happy at all. Could the same turn of events happen in the coming weeks? ESPN's Bart Scott talked about the situation on 'Get Up' and he didn't hold back in going after the Big Blue GM:
Bart Scott: "Joe Schoen needs to just tell Saquon, 'Listen man, we just not that into you.' You're out here treating Saquon like a sidepiece. They give him just enough to make him satisfied."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 21, 2024
Kimberley A. Martin: "That's a great analogy. It is, unfortunately."
Greeny: "In the… pic.twitter.com/aAWkRPt9vS
It's unknown what the NY Giants will do with Saquon Barkley this offseason
Barkley has made it clear he wants to be a Giant for life, but the former No. 2 overall pick hasn't been able to get an extension done with this team. Barkley's health has been a major topic of conversation among NY supporters, as he missed three more games in 2023 with an ankle sprain.
However, the season before, Barkley was fully healthy and he posted 1,312 rushing yards, a new career high. Barkley wants financial security from the G-Men, but it's up in the air if that's going to happen or not. Schoen previously said he'll speak with Barkley's reps at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
If Barkley does enter free agency, teams like the Texans, Cowboys, Eagles and others will likely be ready to get him on the horn to see how much he wants. The contract issues with Barkley have provided headaches for a while now for NY.
On one side of things, people want Barkley to be made happy and still play a massive role for the offense in 2024 and beyond. However, others are ready to see Barkley leave town and for Schoen and Brian Daboll to invest the money he wants elsewhere. By mid March we'll know what happens, but Scott thinks Schoen and the NY front office are simply stringing Barkley along. Does he have a point?