New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley targeting Texans as top destination

The New York Giants would like running back Saquon Barkley to remain in East Rutherford at the right price but as free agency looms, other potential destinations are beginning to emerge.

Long-time NFL journalist Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports that Barkley has been communicating with C.J. Stroud this offseason and views the Houston Texans as his top destination.

The Texans are also expected to explore additional running back options and there are scenarios where they sign more than one running back. The headliner of the running back free agent class is New York Giants star Saquon Barkley, who has targeted the Texans as his top potential destination and has been communicating with Stroud, per league sources. Barkley could, of course, remain with the Giants potentially as general manager Joe Schoen is holding talks with the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year’s agent, Edward Berry, of Creative Artists Agency.

Barkley interacts with many of his NFL counterparts so the fact that he’s spoken to Stroud means little. And any leak of the Texans being his desired location could merely be a negotiation tactic.

It could also be legitimate. If Barkley doesn’t return to the Giants in 2024, he’d like to play for a team capable of winning a Super Bowl.

With Strout under center in 2023, the Texans compiled a 10-7 record, won the AFC South, and dominated the Cleveland Browns on Super Wild Card Weekend.

Although Houston took one on the chin in the divisional round against the Baltimore Ravens, their trajectory is clear. They’re a young, talented team capable of making real noise in the coming years.

The addition of a player like Barkley, assuming he stays healthy, would help move that needle for the Texans. It would be a union that makes sense for both parties.