Saquon Barkley will have little bargaining power if the Giants franchise him again

Updated Jan. 3, 2024 7:31 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Saquon Barkley didn't have much bargaining power after the New York Giants put a franchise tag on him in March, and little will change if the team does it again to their star running back.

Barkley talked about his future with the Giants on Wednesday after the team held a walk-through working for Sunday's season finale against the playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles (11-5).

After making the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016, the Giants (5-11) will be cleaning out their lockers Monday and heading home for the offseason.

Sunday's game at MetLife Stadium has the potential to be Barkley's final one with the Giants.

“That’s a possibility. A lot of that’s out of my control," Barkley said. “So, for me, I kind of just try to keep the main thing, the main thing. Like I said, the biggest thing is this locker room, and this team is going to be completely different next year. So, cherish the moments and go out there and try to go off on a high note.”

Barkley played his first five seasons with the Giants under his rookie contract. The team franchised him for the current season and he signed a one-year contract in July that paid him $10.1 million, which included a $2 million signing bonus.

It allowed him to play the 2023 season, while New York and general manager Joe Schoen maintained the right to franchise the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft again. That will be decided after the season.

The two sides, who were not allowed to discuss a new deal during the season, can start negotiating a new contract as soon as the regular season ends.

Barkley has long said he wants to be with the Giants for his whole career. The 26-year old knows there are concerns. He missed most of the 2020 season with an ACL injury and struggled during his return in 2021. The former Penn State star rushed for a career-high 1,312 yards in helping New York make the playoffs last season in Brian Daboll's first season as head coach.

A high ankle sprain caused Barkley to miss three games early this season, but he still has rushed for 916 yards, caught 39 passes and scored eight touchdowns overall heading into the season finale.

Barkley admits getting a multi-year contract is out of his control, Schoen will do what is best for the organization in talks with his representatives.

If the sides can't reach a deal, Barkley might be franchised a second and final time in March. He said he would not like that.

“Sometimes the franchise tag is a placeholder to be able to work on a deal later,” the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2018 said. “In my case, it wasn’t last year. So, I mean, if I got tagged again, I think I could give you a better answer or talk about my emotions at that time if it does happen.”

If the Giants decide not to franchise Barkley, he will be a free agent and have the right to reach a deal with the NFL's other 31 teams. The running back market, however, is not as highly valued as in the past and getting a long-term second deal will be tough.

“That’s just what happens in the NFL with the rules in NFL and what they’re allowed to do. If you’re a first-round draft pick, you can be on contract for four years, they could pick up your fifth-year option, and then they could tag you twice, and that’s seven years on the one team,” Barkley said. “Then after, it depends on your age, they can really do whatever they want with you. That’s the unfortunate part of business.”

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