For all of the NY Giants fans hoping for the Saquon Barkley contract talks to get settled soon, go ahead and take a seat - nothing is going to get finalized in the near future. While speaking to the media on Thursday, you better believe Schoen was asked about the star running back.
The second-year general manager didn't hesitate in saying that nothing has changed in the Barkley discussions and that there's no rush to figure things out. On top of that, Schoen said he and Barkley haven't spoken in about three weeks. Yeah, that's not a good sign at all.
Joe Schoen has not talked to Saquon Barkley in over 3 weeks and is unsure what his plan will be when the season approaches: pic.twitter.com/bU66Sb6XQ6
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) April 20, 2023
A camp holdout could be on the way for Saquon Barkley
With it being reported that Barkley is not happy about his situation with Big Blue, he sent quite the statement himself by not signing his franchise tender and missing out on the start of the offseason program.
When asked if he expects Barkley to be with the team for the start of the season, Schoen directed that question to Barkley, adding that he doesn't know what the RB's plan is moving forward. Again, that's a worrisome statement from Schoen.
Barkley is the most explosive player on this team and not having him out on the field for Week 1 with Daniel Jones, Darren Waller and the rest of the playmakers would be a nightmare for the Giants. Schoen is focusing on the NFL Draft these days, but he also needs to try and figure things out with Barkley as soon as possible.
The longer this goes on, the more worry there will be among the fanbase that things are only going to get worse between the two sides. Schoen doesn't look ready to blink, though, as he isn't going to overpay Barkley this offseason. Is Saquon willing to lower his price? He may need to if he wants to receive the long-term deal he wants so much.
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