New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley understands this Sunday’s season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles may be the last time he runs onto the MetLife Stadium turf representing the team that drafted him back in 2018.
“[Does] a fresh start cross my mind? I guess anybody, when you look at how the season went, I feel like everybody would want a fresh start somewhere else, just a clean slate,” Barkley told reporters on Wednesday, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. “But that’s how I look at it. If I did hit the open market, hey, that’s God’s plan to go to another team and continue to build a legacy for myself.”
Barkley and the Giants failed to come to terms on a long-term contract both before and after his rights for 2023 were retained via the franchise tag. He ultimately signed an adjusted one-year tag to report to training camp on time, and general manager Joe Schoen has given no indication he’s willing to overspend to keep the fan-favorite and team captain with the club past Week 18.
“I’ve mentioned before, I want to be a Giant for life,” Barkley explained. “That was a goal of mine when I got drafted. I wanted to leave a legacy here. It’s out of my control. I have no say. It’s up to those guys upstairs, Joe and those guys. They’ve got to do what’s best for the team, whatever they feel like is best for the team. They’ll make a decision. Me saying, ‘I want to be a Giant for life’ like I did last year, it doesn’t help or it doesn’t hurt, so I’ll leave it to those guys.”
Barkley turns 27 years old in February, has a lengthy injury history and could be permitted to test the open market if Schoen and company decide not to spend heavily on what’s become a devalued position. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, using a second franchise tag on Barkley would cost the Giants roughly $12.1M.
“I’m still as open as I was before,” Barkley said about putting pen to paper on a deal with the Giants before free agency. “I just want something that’s fair [and] that makes sense. I think I was open and honest about that last year. I still stick by that. But I get it. It’s a business. Hopefully, if it’s not here, it’s some other place.”
The 5-11 Giants lack talent and depth throughout the roster and may press a figurative reset button by drafting an eventual replacement for quarterback Daniel Jones this spring. Barkley probably will have to look elsewhere if he wants to cash in and play for a contender later this year.
