Saquon Barkley is prepared to holdout for entire 2023 season
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has not been shy about disclosing his feelings concerning his contract situation.
The second overall pick of the 2018 draft has had multiple highs and lows in five NFL seasons. His career began with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage, 15 touchdowns, and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. His next three seasons consisted of injury, bad head coaching and not a lot of winning.
Under first year head coach Brian Daboll, however, the Giants and Barkley experienced a renaissance in 2022. They reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season, and defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 on the road in the playoffs.
Playing under a fifth-year option, Barkley played like a guy trying to earn a contract extension. He accumulated a career-high 1,312 yards on the ground, with a respectable 10 touchdowns.
The Giants devoted the majority of their offseason money to quarterback Daniel Jones; franchise tagging Saquon Barkley instead. Both parties failed to agree to a long-term deal for franchise-tagged players before the deadline on Monday. If Barkley chooses to play hardball, he will likely have to sit out training camp, and potentially the regular season.
On an episode of “The Money Matters,” Barkley spoke candidly about the situation.
“You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down.’ And that’s a play I could use.
“Anybody [who] knows me, knows that’s not something I want to do. Is it something that’s crossed my mind? I never thought I would ever do that, but now I’m at a point where I’m like, ‘Jesus, I might have to take it to this level.“
How likely is it that Barkley is actually willing to sit out 2023?
Since both Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs did not receive long term contract extensions, multiple running backs have made their feelings heard about the situation. Christian McCaffery, Derrick Henry, and Najee Harris all took to social media in defense of their piers and their position.
All though running backs are still an important position, they are not the focal point of most NFL offenses. Their shelf life and replaceability has deterred organizations from paying their running backs expensive long-term contracts.
Recent history has also not favored running backs choosing to hold out for more money. Le’Veon Bell sat out the entire 2018 season before securing a long term contract from the Jets. He never returned to his prime form and was not on an NFL roster by last season.
If Saquon Barkley wants to play this season, he will likely have to concede to what the Giants offer him. Otherwise, he will have to take his chances on the free agent market next offseason.
There are only two questions that remain: How strong are Barkley’s convictions about holding out until he is satisfied with his financial compensation, and can the Giants have offensive success without him if they choose not to meet his demands?
Only time will tell.
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