Giants getting last-minute hope with Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley have reportedly opened up contract talks again, with the July 17 deadline looming.

The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley reached an impasse in contract negotiations. The team placed the franchise tag worth $10.1 million for the 2023 season on Barkley, who has yet to sign it, as he seeks a new deal. With that, Barkley did not have to attend mandatory minicamp. The clock was ticking for the two sides, as they have until July 17 to negotiate a new contract.

There is now renewed hope as of Tuesday night.

According to NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport, “talks are back on” between the Giants and Barkley regarding contract negotiations.

"“First of all, the Giants and Saquon Barkley. He said recently at his (youth) camp, he said he’s not going to make a definitive declaration of what he is going to do in the 2023 season until we get into that deadline and to be sure there is still room here for a deal. Talks are back on between the Giants and Saquon Barkley. Now, we’ll see if they can get to a point where he could become one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL,” said Rapoport, h/t NFL.com.“At the very least, Saquon Barkley is expected to be back with the Giants on a one-year fully guaranteed tag. It’s just a matter of whether he’s going to get the security that he wants. Time will tell on that one."

Giants, Saquon Barkley reportedly re-open contract negotiations

The running back market has taken a hit, with players at the position not getting a contract anywhere near what Christian McCaffrey received from the Carolina Panthers ($16.02 million per year) or what Alvin Kamara got from the New Orleans Saints ($15 million per year).

Over a week ago, Barkley made interesting comments about his situation with the Giants at a youth football camp. Barkley said that he hasn’t made a decision on what he would do if the two sides aren’t able to reach an agreement by the July 17 deadline, but didn’t rule out potentially sitting out during the 2023 season.

Barkley said in a statement to ESPN that he wasn’t looking to reset the running back market, but rather to “be compensated respectfully based on his contributions to the team and the locker room.” Barkley said that if the team offers him a deal that he deems fair, he’ll be ready to sign.

Barkley is coming off of a rebound year with the Giants with new head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. In 16 regular-season games played, Barkley ran for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns on 295 carries (4.4 yards per attempt), while catching 57-of-76 targets for 338 yards. In the team’s two playoff games against the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, Barkley ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

With a little under one month remaining until the deadline, the NFL world awaits to see if the two sides can agree to a deal. If they do, the interest will be on what kind of deal Barkley receives from the team that drafted him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.