Saquon Barkley isn't too pleased right now - that's not a secret. After months of contract talks with the NY Giants and general manager Joe Schoen, No. 26 wasn't able to get the offer he wanted and he didn't sign an extension.
For a while now, there has been plenty of worry that Barkley will not be on the field for Week 1 vs. the Dallas Cowboys, while some fans even think he could sit out the entire year. After the way talks ended between his reps and Schoen, we can't rule that out. Neither will Saquon.
In a July 11 interview on 'The Money Matters Podcast,' Barkley was open about how things have played out between him and the Giants. He even admitted that he in fact is considering holding out and not playing a down for the G-Men in 2023:
Saquon Barkley on the leverage he has if he decides to not play for the Giants this year (July 11th interview) pic.twitter.com/zPSC1RPXPn
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) July 19, 2023
Saquon Barkley sitting out the season for the NY Giants would be brutal
"My leverage is I could say (expletive) you to the Giants, I could say (expletive) you to my teammates and be like, ‘You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down' and that’s a play I could use. "Saquon Barkley
Keep in mind that Barkley said this via the podcast interview six days before the July 17 deadline arrived for him to sign an extension. Shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday, Barkley posted, 'it is what it is' on Twitter, showing he was clearly annoyed with no deal being agreed upon.
With training camp starting on July 26, Barkley is not expected to make his way to town with the rest of his teammates. Matter of fact, it would be a surprise if the Pro Bowl running back travels to East Rutherford before September gets here.
"Anybody who knows me, knows that’s not something (sit out the season) I want to do. Is it something that’s crossed my mind? I never thought I would ever do that, but now I’m at a point where I’m like Jesus, I might have to take it to this level. Am I prepared to take it to this level? I don’t know. That’s something I have to sit down and talk to my family, talk to my team and strategize about this - can’t just go off of emotions."Barkley on July 11
As much drama as there was in recent weeks between the Giants and Barkley, it seems like things are only getting started. This is a bummer, as Barkley is beloved by NY supporters. Now, though, no one knows when he'll return to the team.
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