Joe Schoen reveals when Saquon Barkley contract talks will get going again

A resolution between the NY Giants and running back Saquon Barkley can't drag out the same way it did last offseason. Barkley has voiced his desire in figuring out his future as soon as possible - he doesn't want Joe Schoen to wait until the deadline in March to decide whether or not to tag him.

The hope is that won't happen. Over at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., Schoen spoke with reporters and said that he met with Barkley already this offseason. Not only that, but according to Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, Schoen said talks with No. 26's reps are scheduled to get going once again once the NFL Combine gets here too:

Joe Schoen plans to meet with Saquon Barkley's reps at the NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine set to get started on Feb. 29 and run through March 3, things will get here before we know it. Having said that, it means there's still a ton of time until something gets figured out. The process seems pretty simple: Schoen can either ink Barkley to a multi-year deal, place the tag on him again or let him walk in free agency.

Should the Giants franchise tag Barkley for the '24 campaign, it will result in the G-Men paying him $12 million, which isn't ideal. Schoen could look to use the tag on star safety Xavier McKinney, who could also hit free agency this offseason.

In a perfect world, Schoen and the Giants front office can meet Barkley somewhere in the middle on an extension. However, due to Barkley's injury history, it could prevent Schoen from giving the two-time Pro Bowler the kind of guaranteed dough he's looking for.

This past season, with the Giants finishing a rough 6-11, Barkley rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games played. He missed three contests due to the high-ankle sprain he suffered in the thrilling win over the Cardinals.

Barkley has all the talent in the world, but NY seems hesitant to pay him like one of the top running backs in the game. Soon enough we'll find out what decision is made, but it feels like the talks could go either way once the Combine arrives. Fans seem split on Barkley's future too.