Giants will not Tag Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants made it official that they will not franchise tag Saquon Barkley and will let him hit the open market. Barkley has been with the Giants since he was drafted in 2018 and has been in contract negotiations since before last off-season. Ultimately, the two sides have not met at a price point. Thus the 27-year-old Running Back will become a free agent. 

New York is expected to still be in talks with Barkley on getting a potential deal done. However, their motivation to bring him back may not be as pressing as other teams vying for contention. Despite having a lackluster season on the stat sheet, Barkley still has a lot in the tank. At only 27 he is still very explosive with the ball in his hands and he really made the most of a terrible situation in NY this last year. Barkley also boasts tremendous ability in the receiving game, which has proven to be a valuable asset in his game. 

Multiple teams have been rumored to have interest in Barkley if he were to hit the open market. Destinations like the Chargers, Ravens, and Texans have all been mentioned with ties to him. Specifically the Texans were mentioned as a strong candidate in Barkley’s eyes. Getting to play with Rookie of the Year Quarterback Cj Stroud could definitely be a target for Saquon’s talents. Regardless of where he goes, someone is going to have to pay the star back a sizable amount of change. I’d project this contract to come in around the 14 million a year mark with a duration of 2-4 years. 

With multiple top teams battling it out for Saquon, it becomes very hard to see a return to the Giants in his future. Having only made the playoffs one time in his career, Barkley could make contention for a Super Bowl his top priority as he evaluates his options. Despite multiple statements from Barkley about wanting to remain a Giant, only time will tell what the future holds for this talented player.