NFL fans blame Saquon Barkley over failed contract negotiations with Giants - "Completely f*cked himself"

As the 4:00 p.m. deadline for franchise-tagged players passed yesterday, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard failed to reach long-term deals with their teams.

The New York Giants placed the franchise tag on Barkley this off-season, after not agreeing on a long-term deal with the star running back before the start of free agency.

While the two sides negotiated, Barkley wanted more guaranteed money than the Giants were offering.

The two sides were close to a deal, but according to sources, the Giants refused to pay Barkley more than $22 million guaranteed, about $2 million less than what he wanted.

With Barkley not reaching a long-term deal with the New York Giants, fans bashed him on Reddit and blamed him for the two sides not working out a long-term deal.

Comment by u/deadmoosemoose from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Comment by u/cactus_jack_1 from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Comment by u/VinoJedi06 from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Comment by u/Radjage from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Comment by u/Battista85 from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Comment by u/JerseyDvl from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Comment by u/cjweisman from discussion [Schefter] With no long-term deal being reached today, Saquon Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team. The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report. in nfl

Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs are in intriguing positions after not signing long-term deals

Josh Jacobs during Kansas City Chiefs v Las Vegas Raiders

Saquon Barkley wasn't the only running back that failed to secure a long-term deal yesterday before the deadline.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs was close to signing a contract extension yesterday, but failed to do so. He was so close that he was sitting in the team facility's parking lot with teammate Maxx Crosby, ready to extend his contract with the Raiders.

With no long-term deal reached for Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley, the pair are widely expected to sit out of training camp. There is also the potential for a Le'Veon Bell-esque situation, where either or both might sit out the entire season.

Given how effective these two backs have been, particularly in the 2022 season, this is a scenario their franchises will be desperate to avoid.

The running back market appears to be a buyers' market, with names like Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt, Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette all without teams. This was underlined when Cincinnati Bengals back Joe Mixon restructured his contract to earn less this season.

The only running back to have recorded a big win in the contract column is Bijan Robinson with the Atlanta Falcons. He will be the highest-paid RB in the league and he hasn't played an NFL snap yet.

It remains to be seen what Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs will do, but their decisions could have an impact on contract negotiations for running backs across the NFL.