Is there anything else NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley can do to try and land a payday from the front office? Last offseason, the G-Men and general manager Joe Schoen tried to get things done with No. 26, but the guaranteed money wasn't good enough for the Pro Bowler.
Because of that, Barkley is playing on the non-exclusive franchise tag this season. Unless the Giants tag him again in the coming months, he'll be free to sign with anyone he wants. Yeah, that can't happen. When speaking to the media this week, Schoen was asked about Barkley and yes, he was saying a lot of great things about him. However, enough is enough - he needs to give him the money he deserves.
Joe Schoen is ready to try and get a new contract done with Saquon Barkley
"Saquon, I mean, he's a captain. He comes to work every day. I know there were some questions a couple of weeks ago about still coming to work and the longevity and the tread on the tires and all that stuff. He comes to work every day. He does everything we ask. He's a great teammate. He's a captain. Big reason, as you're going through adversity, I think he's a big part of keeping the locker room together. I respect Saquon a lot and the way he's handled himself through this entire process, and I have a lot of respect for Saquon."Joe Schoen
When on the field this season, Barkley has been a force for Big Blue. The big issue in 2023, though, is that Barkley has missed a large chunk of the campaign with a high-ankle sprain. As soon as he went down against the Cardinals in Week 2, haters were out in full force saying Schoen was right not to overpay him.
However, Barkley has been able to return and he's making a monster impact both in the passing game and on the ground. In the 31-19 win over the Commanders, Barkley hauled in to touchdown passes from Tommy DeVito. Time and time again, Barkley (when he's close to 100 percent) is looking like one of the best RBs in the game.
Schoen has to figure something out with him soon. The thought of Barkley playing for a new team next season - he's been linked with the Bucs recently - is not something Giants Nation wants to keep worrying about.