RB Saquon Barkley became one of the more vocal players of the 2023 NFL offseason. The New York Giants star voiced his displeasure toward the financial state of league running backs and joined a list of players who demanded teams rethink the value of the position.
But what is he making currently?
Saquon Barkley Contract Details With the New York Giants
Barkley is currently playing on a franchise tag. He agreed to a one-year deal that pays him up to $10 million for the 2023 season.
That deal, though, came amid some reported tensions between himself, the league, and his team.
Barkley joined a growing number of NFL running backs who believed their values were way more than what teams are currently giving running backs. The potential for a contract holdout became inevitable in New York.
The tensions hit a boiling point when the Giants missed the deadline to extend contracts. Barkley’s name was included, along with fellow running backs Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys and Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders, as all three were up for extensions.
Why Did Barkley Sign the $10 Million Deal?
How did Barkley eventually give in and give the Giants another chance?
Per ESPN NFL insider Jordan Raanan back on July 25, 2023, Barkley wanted to avoid missing training camp.
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“It seems pretty clear Barkley wanted to get this out of the way and report to training camp. Heck, he didn’t even fight until the bitter end for the elimination of the franchise tag next year,” Raanan wrote.
There was more to the change of heart, though. Raanan stated the next reason involved Barkley’s image.
“But Barkley is a player who is very conscious of his image. That was evident when he said at his AMPT football camp last month that he didn’t like how the negotiations were being portrayed publicly. He said the coverage made him look ‘greedy.’ Barkley preaches being a team-first guy who prioritizes winning. Whatever it takes. Getting this out of the way now allows for the cloud that was about to cast over training camp to be removed,” Raanan wrote.
How Barkley Has Performed Since Signing the Deal?
Barkley is trying to operate in a struggling Giants offense.
The team is already without first-round QB Daniel Jones. They’re now down to undrafted rookie Tommy Devito leading the offense.
The rusher has been limited to nine games on his end. He’s tallied 697 yards and has scored just once this season. He’s only produced one 100-yard game this year, which occurred on Oct. 29 against the New York Jets (36 carries for 128 yards).
However, Barkley has found the end zone more as a receiving option out of the backfield. Despite being limited to 28 catches for 168 receiving yards, he’s scored four touchdowns via the aerial attack. In fact, he earned half of his receiving touchdowns facing the Washington Commanders on Nov. 19.
Barkley has a combined five touchdowns this season while on a $10 million deal, but fans are beginning to wonder if the All-Pro 26-year-old has enough production to make a larger sum of money for the 2024 free agency cycle, or if he may need to settle for another lesser deal.
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