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A Redditor shared Mike Florio’s report about the Saquon Barkley contract situation.
The Pro Football Talk host wrote that insider sources shared that the New York Giants offered a multi-year extension amounting to $13 million annually.
Florio added that the Giants offered the contract before the deadline for activating the franchise tag.
He also revealed that Barkley sought a contract close to Christian McCaffrey’s $16 million annual average value.
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However, Saquon Barkley retweeted MLFootball’s version of Florio’s report but captioned it with two blue cap emojis.
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That symbol is associated with “capping,” the slang term for lying. Putting two caps means that there’s no way Florio’s article could be genuine, per Barkley.
Barkley’s comment led to these reactions from other Redditors in the NFL subreddit.
However, it’s not sure what part of Florio’s report is false, per Barkley. It could be the amount he is negotiating, the length of the potential deal, or that he is reportedly looking for McCaffrey money. It’s also possible that contract talks between him and the Giants are at a stalemate.
Saquon Barkley is a victim of an unfortunate reality
The former Penn State standout had a bounce-back 2022 season under new Giants head coach Brian Daboll. He had a career-high 1,312 rushing yards, the fourth-most among running backs last year. His ten touchdowns were the most among Giants players.
Those numbers earned him his second Pro Bowl selection in five NFL seasons. But despite carrying the heavy load of the team’s offense, the Giants offered him a franchise tag worth $10.091 million.
A running back of Saquon Barkley’s caliber could have attracted interest from other NFL teams. Unfortunately, there has been a devaluation of the running back position starting this offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott, while the Minnesota Vikings did the same with Dalvin Cook. Leonard Fournette, Mark Ingram, and Kareem Hunt remain free agents. Meanwhile, Tony Pollard signed his franchise tag.
It’s also shocking that rookie running back Bijan Robinson will earn more than Derrick Henry in 2023. The former Texas standout will get $13.7 million in guaranteed money before playing an NFL snap.
That amount includes his $12.9 signing bonus and $750,000 base salary. Those sums are part of his four-year, $21.9 million rookie deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
Conversely, Henry will earn a $10.5 million base salary in the upcoming season. Henry has been an NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time All-Pro, and a three-time Pro Bowl running back. He is one of only eight running backs to have at least 2,000 rushing yards in a season.
Without question, Saquon Barkley deserves more than the $10 million franchise tag, given how he carried the Giants offense last season. Unfortunately, the running back market is trending downward, and he’s not spared.
If he signs the franchise tag, the Giants can offer another tag for around $12 million in 2024. But with Barkley’s camp negotiating for more, the talks may go down the wire before both sides agree to a deal.
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