Saquon Barkley. You already know what's going to be talked about with him this offseason. Since being drafted by the NY Giants in 2018, Barkley's become the face of the franchise. He shared the spotlight in his rookie year with Odell Beckham Jr., but once the star receiver was shipped out of town, the Giants became Barkley's team.
Since then, Barkley's Giants career has seen more lows than highs in terms of team success. In 2022, the Giants finally made the postseason and won their first playoff game in over a decade, a game which Barkley had two touchdowns in.
It's no secret that Saquon wants to be a Giant for life. He's made that clear on numerous occasions when speaking to the media. With contract talks coming for a second straight offseason, both sides have major decisions to make.
Saquon Barkley said he's open to getting something done with the #Giants before free agency.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) January 3, 2024
“I just want something that is fair. ... But like I said, I get it, it’s a business. If it’s not here, hopefully it’s some other place. https://t.co/wJcZuM9fe8
Saquon Barkley wants a fair deal from Giants this offseason
There's been a lot of talk this week about Sunday being possibly the last game Barkley plays as a Giant. If so, the Giants will be losing arguably their best player and also a big figure in the community. Thousands of kids don 'Barkley' on the back of their jerseys, mimicking his acrobatic spin moves hoping to try and be like their idol. When negotiations with the Giants begin, his impact on the fanbase is certainly going to come up. That's what Barkley wants his legacy to be as a Giant. Of course he wants to bring another Lombardi Trophy into the facility, that's first and foremost. However, it can't go unmentioned just how much Barkley means to the Giants community.
Barkley has 916 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season, just 84 yards away from his fourth-career 1,000-yard rushing season. He's also added 229 yards and four touchdowns on the receiving end of things. It hasn't been his best season by any means, but considering he missed four games and the offense as a whole has been inept all year, he has still impressed.
The Giants opted to franchise tag Barkley before the season at a $10.09 million cap hit. He's going to be 27 next month, so if a long-term deal is reached, the Giants will have Barkley on the books likely until he's 30. Will his production remain the same throughout the next 3-4 years? That's the question Joe Schoen needs an answer to when Barkley comes to the negotiation table. Schoen needs to find a way to make Barkley happy, but at the right price.
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