Saquon Barkley is trying to get paid, and I don’t blame him.
The New York Giants have a lot to deal with this offseason, including figuring out what to do with their quarterback, Daniel Jones, who is an unrestricted free agent. They also need to figure out how to bulk up the wide receiver and linebacker positions specifically.
But that’s not all for the Giants, they also need to work something out with their superstar running back Saquon Barkley, who reportedly turned down a contract offer from Big Blue. Barkley is also an unrestricted free agent.
Barkley said Jan. 22 that he is realistic about his expectations when it comes to a new contract and that he has no interest in resetting the market for RBs, however, Barkley reportedly turned down a contract from the G-Men worth $12 million-per-year in the fall of 2022, according to insider Ralph Vacchiano.
… My take on what Schoen said (and didn’t say) is that while he was careful about Jones’ value, he knows he has to pay him.
With Barkley, though, I think they have a limit to how far they’ll go. The franchise tag for him may be more realistic than I thought.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) January 23, 2023
… Barkley was offered around $12M/season during the bye week, per sources, and Schoen said they weren’t close in value. Barkley said yesterday he didn’t necessarily want to set the market, though I continue to hear he wants near Christian Mcaffrey’s $16M average. …
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) January 23, 2023
… Considering the projected franchise tag for RBs is $10.1M, it really didn’t sound like the Giants’ bye week offer to Saquon Barkley is going to increase by much.
They have a lot of other spending priorities this off-season.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) January 23, 2023
Oh, man. We have drama in New York City.
And I’ll tell you this, like I said in a recent piece, I have a lot of love for the New York Giants brand, but I don’t blame Saquon Barkley one bit for trying to get that bag. That man knows his worth, and when you know your worth, you eventually need to get that payday — Saquon is trying to get his, and I’m loving it.
See, we live in a society today where corporate America will roll all over your ass and take advantage of every piece of you, so I’m always for individual empowerment against “the man.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of the most capitalist mother(bleepers) out here, but I love to see an individual finally get their deserved cash after putting in so much work.
Quite frankly, if you’re performing at a high level in your career field, you deserve a fat check, especially if you’re somebody like Barkley helping your employer bring in millions and millions of dollars. As a top performer, he deserves a fair slice of the pie. (RELATED: REPORT: Denver Broncos Become The Favorite To Land Sean Payton As Head Coach)
Get your money, Saquon. I love to see it. And if you can’t work out a deal with the New York Giants, maybe there could be a spot for you in South Beach — wouldn’t that be something.
What an offseason this is going to be though with all of the talent that will be available: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, Dalvin Cook, Jalen Ramsey, now here we are with Saquon Barkley…
Yeah, this is gonna be fun.