New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was a huge part of the team’s success last season. After being franchise tagged in the offseason, the sides have yet to come to a deal. In a recent interview, Barkley revealed that he may take a shocking path in 2023.
New York Giants Saquon Barkley To Sit Out 2023?
The idea of sitting out the 2023 season was floated to Barkley and he didn’t shut it down when asked about it over the weekend.
“I think that’s a conversation. Like you said, that’s a card I could play. That comes up in conversation if something don’t get done by July 17. … We got a little bit of time in between there. When that date comes up, then I’ll have to sit down with my team, sit down with my family and make decisions. See what we’re going to do. What’s the next game plan? What’s the next move?”
Negotiating is all about leverage. If Barkley threatens to sit out, the Giants could feel the need to pay him to get him back on the field. The team is trying to show that last year was not a fluke and a big part of that is having Barkley on the field.
Tough Market For Running Backs
Barkley isn’t the only running back holding out. Josh Jacobs is in a similar position with the Las Vegas Raiders with no end in sight. Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott were released this offseason and have yet to find new homes. The market for running backs isn’t there right now and teams are hesitant to pay a running back big money. It will be interesting to see how all of these situations get resolved because there are a lot of them.
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants are hoping to come to an agreement soon. Reports have not been favorable but after the Lamar Jackson contract situation, I believe that any contract is doable no matter how volatile the negotiations get. The team has about a month to figure this out. It is another offseason situation to monitor as we move throughout the summer.