Saquon Barkley has not signed a contract offer from the New York Giants. The star running back has opted to hold out in hopes of getting a new deal. This is not only a Giants issue but a league-wide one. Most running backs either aren't getting signed or are getting very low contract offers. That includes Barkley.
In the midst of this off-field battle, Giants fans have grown upset. They've taken to demonstrating outside the running back's own house, imploring him to sign and get it over with.
The fan outside Barkley's house screamed:
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"Saquon, I love you. PLEASE, just sign the deal!"
Giants fans know that he means a lot to the offense. Without him, they may not have made the playoffs last season. However, Barkley knows that as well, which is why he's hesitating to sign the deal.
Running backs are being paid very little. The conventional thinking is that they aren't all that valuable. Most of them, generally speaking, are only as effective as the line that blocks in front of them.
As such, many don't find strong second contracts with the team that drafts them. Modern day front offices prefer to use that money elsewhere and will draft a replacement or sign one for cheap.
Stars like Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and many more have experienced this phenomenon first hand. Barkley is trying to change that by holding out for a better deal from the Giants.
Saquon Barkley's offer from the New York Giants
One of the biggest reasons Saquon Barkley is holding out on the New York Giants is that they wanted to franchise tag him. This effectively keeps a player under contract for one year at market value.
The market value isn't exactly very high for running backs right now, so it's not a good deal for Barkley. It is also for a single year, which means he'd be once again playing for a second contract and risking injury in the process.
Running backs are often worn down over the course of a season and teams then don't want to pay them, so it's a tough situation for all backs right now.
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