Saquon Barkley open to nuclear option on Giants contract negotiations

Running back Saquon Barkley didn’t rule out the possibility of sitting out the season if he can’t reach an agreement with the New York Giants on a contract.

The market has not been too kind to running backs this year, with none of the players due for a new contract getting close to what Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara have signed for.

One of the running backs that is due for a new deal is Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants. The Giants were in a tough position having to sign both Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones to new contracts.

They signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract, but placed the franchise tag on Barkley, which is worth $10.1 million for the upcoming season. However, Barkley has yet to sign the tag.

Barkley hosted a youth football camp in Jersey City, N.J. on Sunday and spoke to reporters about his current contract status. With the deadline to sign a contract extension being on July 17, Barkley said he would explore his options on how to move forward. When asked about potentially sitting out the 2023 season, Barkley didn’t rule it out.

“I think that’s a conversation like you said, that’s a card I could play,” Barkley said, h/t the New York Daily News. “That comes up in conversation if something doesn’t get done by July 17. And we got a little bit of time in between there. So when that date comes up, then I’ll have to sit down with my team and my family and make decisions, see what we’re gonna do, what’s the game plan, what’s the next move.”

Giants: Saquon Barkley doesn’t rule out sitting out the 2023 season

While he hasn’t decided to sit out the 2023 season just yet, he isn’t going to attend the team’s mandatory minicamp this upcoming week. He doesn’t have to attend, considering he hasn’t signed the franchise tag yet.

Barkley stressed that he’s not looking to reset the market, and he understands what the market for running backs is currently. Rather, he’s looking to “be compensated respectfully based on his contributions to the team and the locker room,” per his statement to ESPN.

Barkley continued, saying, “If at some point there’s a deal that is fair to both sides on the table, I’ll be ready to sign.

You can read Barkley’s statement released by ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter in the tweet below:

Barkley was selected second overall by the Giants in 2018. In his first year, he took the league by storm, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. But in the following three seasons, Barkley dealt with injuries, including a torn ACL in 2020. The Giants’ previous regime picked up Barkley’s fifth-year option.

In his first year with head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Barkley had a bounce-back season. In 16 regular-season games, Barkley recorded 1,312 rushing yards (fourth-most in NFL) and 10 touchdowns (ninth-most) on 295 carries (fourth-most). Barkley also recorded 57 receptions for 338 yards on 76 targets.

The Giants made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and won their first playoff game since their Super Bowl 46 victory back in the 2011 season. But, they were eliminated by the rival Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round. Barkley ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and caught seven-of-nine targets for 77 in both playoff games.

Barkley stressed that he won’t know what he’s going to do until the July 17 deadline passes. There’s a chance both sides agree to a deal by then. If not, the Giants faithful will be waiting to see what Barkley’s next move will be.