Saquon Barkley has said it before and will continue to say it until he leaves East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“As I’ve said before, I want to be a Giant for the rest of my life,” Barkley told a panel on ESPN’s “First Take” Monday morning.
Even though the New York Giants didn’t give him a long-term extension this offseason, Barkley didn’t waver in his thought process. Instead, quarterback Daniel Jones was signed to a four-year, $160 million contract after the team made the playoffs last year, while general manager Joe Schon extended his franchise contract with Barkley.
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December 25, 2023. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) plays against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)
The same could happen this offseason, as the Giants retain the ability to team up with Barkley on the franchise tag again. But that doesn’t stop Barkley from continuing to talk about how much respect he has for the organization.
When asked by Stephen A. Smith why he wanted to stay with the Giants, Barkley replied, “Because I know how special the Giants organization is.” “I have nothing but tremendous respect for the Tisch family, the Mara family. This is the team that drafted me and I’m a big believer in setting goals and achieving those goals. One of my goals when I got drafted here, that’s why the Giants are back on top again and why they’re having a parade in New York, but so far in my career, that It didn’t work out that way.
“I said I wanted to be like Tiki. [Barber],Michael [Strahan]Eli [Manning]. But the sad thing is, this is the NFL and it’s a business. If this was my last season, it would have been a lot of fun. But the great thing is, there’s still plenty left in the tank. If I’m not with the New York Giants next year, but somewhere else, they’re going to be getting a leader, a hard worker, a competitor, and someone who competes at a high level to win football games. “
Unless the Giants extend him somehow this offseason, Barkley will be a player to watch.
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The No. 2 overall pick out of Penn State continued to be the centerpiece of the Giants’ offense in 2023, as he did in his impressive 2022 season. This season, he totaled 1,242 yards from scrimmage (962 rushing, 280 receiving) and scored 10 total touchdowns in 14 games.
The 26-year-old continues to prove he’s still one of the NFL’s elite running backs after a rough 2020 season that ended prematurely with multiple torn ligaments in his knee.
Meanwhile, Jones will deal with injury issues in 2023 as the Giants’ offense regresses overall. Jones ultimately tore his ACL against the Las Vegas Raiders and was unable to play the rest of the season.
Saquon Barkley, No. 26 of the New York Giants, warms up before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on January 7, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Cooper Neal/Getty Images)
It wasn’t the start the Giants were hoping for for their franchise quarterback, but Barkley continues to show support for him as well.
“As I’ve always said, I’m a huge fan of Daniel Jones,” he explained. “I’m a supporter, I’m a believer, but you see the other side. You see how he goes about his job every day. It’s unfortunate that the injury happened last season, but obviously “That cost him the year with his ACL. Knowing him as a guy and knowing him as a competitor, I knew he was going to come back stronger than ever. I’m sure”
Barkley doesn’t know if he’ll continue to call Jones a teammate next year, but he’s been through the rodeo all offseason. He also understands the business side of this, even going so far as to say right after the regular season that he hopes the Giants make a decision sooner rather than later, just in time for the 2023 franchise tag deadline.
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But even with a loss midway through the season, there was never any sense that Barkley was going to quit. The Giants’ 6-11 record this season has earned them the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and no one would be surprised if Barkley decides to step down and focus on free agent prospects. I wouldn’t have swung it to the side.
“Never,” he said of the thought that came to mind. “We had a job to do. There’s a reason I put a ‘C’ on my chest. It’s bigger than that. Obviously, the offseason didn’t go the way we wanted it to. We couldn’t come back.” He has a long-term contract, but I tweeted, “That’s the way it is.” So once you get there, take care of what’s important and that’s competing at a high level with your brothers. That’s not in my personality either.”
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, 26, stands on the field at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, January 7, 2024. (Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Barkley will be waiting to see what the Giants do this offseason. Until then, he plans to stay out of the weight room and allow his body to recover before offseason training can begin in earnest again. He will also play in the Super Bowl and support fellow running back Christian McCaffrey, who he noted is the best at his position in the league.
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McCaffrey was paid for his abilities. He believes Mr. Berkeley should too.
