No one knows how the Saquon Barkley drama is going to end this offseason, but a lot of NY Giants fans are starting to get concerned about the Pro Bowl running back. Barkley, placed on the non-exclusive franchise tag not long ago, is not happy with his current contract situation.
However, general manager Joe Schoen really isn't to blame for this. Per multiple reports, Schoen offered Barkley a multi-year deal worth around $13 million a year after the 2022 campaign came to a close. Barkley passed on that opportunity.
With the way the RB market has been set, it's now looking like No. 26 made a big mistake. While speaking to the New York Post's Paul Schwartz, an unnamed NFL agent called Barkley and his agent out for their poor decision making.
Saquon Barkley and the NY Giants need to get on the same page as soon as possible
"One prominent player agent told The Post turning down an offer in the $12 million-$13 million a year range was “dumb” as long as the structure was fair — about 60 percent in guaranteed money. The agent believes the framework for a market-value Barkley deal should now average around $8 million or $9 million per year and that a three-year, $30 million package — with a guarantee of about $18 million — would be “pretty rich.’’Paul Schwartz
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This report from Schwartz came last week, but now Big Blue supporters are talking about it even more following Bob Brookover's report that the Giants offered Barkley up to $14 million a year with incentives. How high does Barkley expect the Giants to go?
Schoen has made it quite clear that Barkley is an important piece for this team moving forward. Barkley is easily one of the most explosive players in the game. However, Schoen has his limits in terms of the kind of money he can offer.
Barkley needs to lower his number, otherwise the concern about even more drama is only going to go up leading up to training camp.