The New York Giants reportedly never made a contract offer to their superstar running back, Saquon Barkley, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Per multiple sources, the decision came down to the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles.
It was reported Monday that Barkley accepted a three-year, $37.75 million deal that could be worth up to $46.75 million from their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. $26 million of the contract is fully guaranteed at signing.
Saquon Barkley and New York Giants Relationship Grew Sour
In a surprising twist, the New York Giants seemed to have no interest in keeping the 27-year-old running back after franchise tagging him last season. They opted against tagging Barkley again this season, allowing him to test the waters of free agency. New York reportedly offered Barkley a contract worth $23 million dollars last offseason, but the running back declined. Decidedly the right decision.
The Giants were not willing to pay what Barkley expected, which was reportedly at least $10 million a year. Their doubt stemmed from Barkley’s injury history and overall disappointing season for the team compared to their surprise 2022 playoff run.
The Giants concerns about injuries with Barkley could be justified, as Barkley only played in 14 games last season and has only had two fully healthy seasons in his career. On the other hand, Barkley had one of the best rookie seasons that has been seen in recent memory, racking up over 2000 total yards and 15 touchdowns and his 2022 season was just as spectacular five years later and post ACL tear.
In those 14 games last season, Barkley still had over 1100 total yards and 10 touchdowns. Even though he had a successful season, the Giants finished the season with a record of 6-11 and lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the season in week six.
While Jones only played a small sample size last season, he did not play well in that time. with a record of 1-5, Jones threw for 909 yards and two touchdowns to six interceptions. His poor play looked even worse since the Giants chose to give him a four-year, $160 million dollar contract prior to the 2023 season, instead of paying Saquon.
Now, the Giants are looking at a full rebuild after refusing to offer Barkley. Safety Xavier McKinney also left the Giants Monday, signing a contract with the Green Bay Packers for four years and $68 million. With the sixth overall pick in the NFL, the Giants are also widely mocked to go with one of the top quarterback prospects coming out, most notably Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU.
While Barkley leaving for a division rival may seem like he has it out for the Giants, Barkley tweeted stating his love for the Giants and the fans. Barkley was born and raised in Pennsylvania and played college football at Penn State. This played a key role in Barkley’s decision.
While Barkley may have love for New York, some New York Giants of past and present shared their feelings after the deal.
“You’re dead to us, Saquon. Good luck, you’re dead to me,” said former NFL running back and Giants legend Tiki Barber. Giants 2022 first round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux tweeted “Whyyyyyyy!!! I’m happy my brotha though….but damn damn damn!!!!”
Barkley will play the Giants twice next season, and MetLife will not be kind to Barkley when he is wearing that Philly Kelly Green.
Giants fans have been extra critical of Barkley since news broke, blaming the star for the breakup due to not being able to give them a discount. In Barkley’s defense, he got much more from the eagles than he ever would’ve from the Giants. New York fans will just need a little bit of time to recover, they’ll survive.