Here we are bright and early on Tuesday morning and the sadness continues. Why? It's because the future of star running back Saquon Barkley with the NY Giants has never been less clear. Barkley and Joe Schoen tried everything to come to terms on a new deal, but nothing happened.
Now, Barkley isn't expected to be in East Rutherford for training camp and it's totally up in the air if he'll be at MetLife Stadium once Week 1 vs. the Dallas Cowboys rolls around. With the G-Men and Saquon not finalizing a new deal, here are the five biggest losers from the contract drama:
5. NY Giants QB Daniel Jones
After signing a four-year extension worth $160 million, Daniel Jones is ready to have the best year of his young career. Countless haters have been bashing him ever since he landed his mega-deal, claiming he's overpaid and overrated. Without Barkley on the field, do we really think Jones will be able to play his best football?
Barkley is such a key piece of the offense, he certainly takes some pressure off of Jones. When these two are working together, magic is created and the NY offense is able to play at a high level. Jones wants No. 26 by his side as soon as possible. If Barkley indeed plans to be a camp holdout and even miss some regular season games, Jones will undoubtedly suffer.
4. NY Giants running back Eric Gray
You've got to feel for rookie running back Eric Gray. With Barkley potentially sitting out the season-opener, fans are already assuming he'll be the starting RB to take on the Dallas Cowboys in primetime on Sept. 10. Gray just wrapped up his first offseason program with the G-Men, as he was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
With people now calling for him to be the next man in line, there's plenty of pressure on him from out of nowhere. This is a young man who hasn't even suited up for an NFL game in his life, and now he has Big Blue supporters expecting him to handle the load for the Giants against the Cowboys if Barkley indeed doesn't show up for that game.
Gray is an exciting young running back, don't get us wrong here. However, he's now going to be brought up in the drama between the G-Men and Barkley. It's not fair for him at all. A standout for Oklahoma last season, Gray rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's a bruising back, no doubt, but let's pump the brakes on already throwing him into the starting 11 for camp and Week 1.
3. NY Giants GM Joe Schoen
It's hard to consider Schoen a loser here, as he stood his ground and he didn't give in to Barkley's demands. This negotiation truly went down to the wire, but Schoen wasn't going to overpay with the way the running back market has been set. However, that doesn't mean that he's not pulling a bit of a risky move here.
At the end of the day, if Barkley isn't out on the field vs. the Cowboys, there's no way that the G-Men will be able to pull off an upset against Dallas to start the new campaign - that's right, we said it. Not only would missing Saquon vs. NY's hated rivals be a blow, but there's a lot of buzz that this could cause issues inside of the locker room too.
Barkley is one of the most respected guys on this team. He's a leader for the Giants and the adversity that he's been able to overcome has been nothing short of inspiring. With how popular he is, Barkley being upset with the front office could have a negative impact on others as well. That's a worry for Schoen and Co.
2. NY Giants fans as a whole
We're here for you, Big Blue Nation. You're checking in at No. 2 on our list, as this whole Saquon drama has been like something you'd see on ABC after Days Of Our Lives - this has been a complete and total soap opera. For months know, the Giants faithful have been forced to read countless reports and rumors on Barkley and a potential contract.
Leading up to the 4 p.m. deadline on Monday, there was still hope that Barkley would put the pen to paper on a new deal and we'd be able to put everything in the past. A happy ending felt like it was going to be on the way for the Pro Bowl running back and the front office. Instead, more uncertainty has arrived.
Now leading up to the start of the new campaign, people are going to be anxious wondering whether or not Jones will have his good buddy next to him to take on the Cowboys. Again, without Saquon on the field, it could end up being a long night for NY. This is something people in NY and New Jersey are going to have to worry about for the next seven weeks or so.
1. NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley
You knew Barkley was going to be featured here. After months of trying to get something done, it's the franchise tag or bust for the standout RB. These negotiations indeed have been going on for months, with Barkley reportedly turning down an offer from the Giants all the way back during the bye week in 2022.
Barkley rejected that offer, plus multiple others from Schoen and the Big Blue front office. In a dream world, Barkley would have been able to ink a 3-4 year deal, with at least $22 million guaranteed. He was hoping for that financial security long term. Now, he's set to earn $10.1 million for his work this year if he signs the tender.
This isn't what he wanted, though, and you better believe that Barkley is ticked off. Right before the news dropped that no deal would be reached, Barkley posted, "it is what it is" on his Twitter account. Yeah, those are five words from a young man who isn't pleased with the way this all played out. Fans are now begging Saquon to play on the tag and suit up for the G-Men once early September arrives. Will that happen? Keep your fingers crossed.
READ MORE: Saquon Barkley posts cryptic message after not landing extension