Why It Issues: Barkley is among the finest at his place.
A two-time Professional Bowl choice, Barkley has been a mainstay of the Giants’ offense for the reason that crew drafted him No. 2 total in 2018, and he gave the crew an id because it moved on from the longtime quarterback Eli Manning.
He was named the offensive rookie of the 12 months in his first season, and his explosive runs helped flip him right into a face of the league, whilst ankle and knee accidents stored him out of 21 video games from 2019 by way of 2021.
Barkley bounced again final season to assist lead the Giants (9-7-1) to their first playoff look for the reason that 2016 season. Behind his 1,312 dashing yards on 295 carries (each fourth finest within the N.F.L.) and 10 dashing touchdowns, the Giants had been a top-five dashing crew and scored 21 touchdowns on the bottom in contrast with 17 passing.
The crew’s resolution to supply Barkley the franchise tag has been a degree of debate in N.F.L. circles, with even members of the Giants’ rivals talking up on his behalf. In April, Cowboys defensive finish Micah Parsons argued on Twitter that Barkley is the centerpiece of the Giants’ offense. “The scheme on Monday morning is we nicely not let SAQUON BARKLEY BEAT Us!!,” he wrote, including “Pay him!”
The Background: Groups are averse to long-term offers for working backs.
Barkley is probably going in search of a deal on par with the best earners at his job.
His four-year rookie deal was price $31.19 million and the crew picked up his possibility for $7.2 million final season.
Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers has the highest common wage for a working again at $16 million, and Alvin Kamara of the Saints is incomes $15 million. Derrick Henry of the Titans, Nick Chubb of the Browns and Joe Mixon of the Bengals every earn not less than $12 million per 12 months on their offers.
Barkley scoffed at a report last week that stated he sought $16 million yearly and has continued to load social media accounts with pictures from his low season exercises.
However he could also be negotiating laborious for each his private recreation and to pressure higher market worth for working backs, whose common compensation has been declining.
“The development proper now’s to not pay working backs, so everyone seems to be like, ‘OK, we don’t must do it both then,’” Chargers working again Austin Ekeler stated, including that it will take a prime performer to carry out or signal an enormous long-term deal to reverse the development.
Josh Jacobs of the Raiders and Tony Pollard of the Cowboys additionally failed to achieve long-term offers with their groups and are anticipated to play underneath the franchise tag, the common wage of the highest 5 gamers at that participant’s place. The determine for working backs pales compared to the cash for quarterbacks ($32.4 million this 12 months), offensive linemen ($18.24 million) and even tight ends ($11.35 million).
What’s Subsequent
If Barkley accepts the Giants’ tag, the 2 sides can’t negotiate a long-term deal till after the tip of the common season.
If he doesn’t settle for the tag, Barkley can maintain out and never play. He wouldn’t be docked pay for lacking coaching camp dates however he would lose out on paychecks if he had been to sit down out video games. The Giants might additionally rescind the franchise tag, a extremely unlikely transfer that will make Barkley an unrestricted free agent.
The extra doubtless end result: Barkley holds out quickly to make his displeasure identified however finally ends up reporting to camp. He has repeatedly stated he’d wish to retire as a Big and shifted his illustration to facilitate negotiations. He’s at present represented by Kim Miale of Roc Nation and Ed Perry of Artistic Artists Company.
When the common season is completed, the Giants and Barkley can choose up talks that can doubtless finish in a deal getting accomplished. He has been a stabilizing persona in a locker room that has seen three completely different head coaches in Barkley’s tenure, and the crew’s reliance on the working assault of Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones received’t be diminished any time quickly.