Saquon Barkley Signs One-Year Deal With Giants
Have no fear, Saquon Barkley is here. There will be no holdout. Saquon Barkley was hit with the franchise tag this offseason. Barkley will sign a one-year deal that will likely beat the franchise tag number. The former Penn State product will return to the team and play out the year with the Giants.
The news was first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
Surprise!
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2023
The #Giants and star RB Saquon Barkley agreed to terms on a new 1-year deal worth up to $11M, sources say, as Barkley gives himself a chance to beat the franchise tag. He gets a $2M signing bonus.
Bottom line: Barkley is coming in & will be at training camp. pic.twitter.com/A5PR7RWLfQ
There was a feeling around the league that Barkley wasn’t going to sign his franchise tag. Without a new deal, the former Penn State product was prepared to sit out the start of the season. This new contract is basically the franchise tag with some incentives thrown in there. Barkley needs to eclipse 1,300 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 65 receptions to cash in on those incentives.
Based on the way these running backs were crying, I’m surprised that this is all it took for him to return. A few incentives seems like a more than fair compromise even though the Giants didn’t have to do it. Then again, Barkley is one of the only backs in the league that carries his offense. With just Daniel Jones, this Giants team is not a playoff contender.
The Giants were really preparing for the fact that Barkley may sit out. The team drafted Eric Gray (who I’m high on) and just signed James Robinson. Matt Breida is also on the roster.
Barkley rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He’s going to have to have that type of season again to reach the new incentives. Regardless, Barkley will want to have a dominant season again anyway in hopes of cashing in on a new long term deal once he hits the market.
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