Today marks the deadline for franchise tag recipients to sign multi-year deals and avoid playing on the one-year tag for the 2023 season. That leaves only a few hours for the Giants and running back Saquon Barkley to come to an agreement. 
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that the sides are expected to conduct further negotiations ahead of the 3pm central deadline (Twitter link). He adds that periods of contract talks have been few and far between in recent weeks, as New York has remained firm at its price point while the 26-year-old has attempted to use his limited leverage to achieve a larger guarantee than the $22MM he would earn on consecutive franchise tags.
With plenty of ground left to cover in a matter of hours, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets that neither party is optimistic a deal will be reached today. That sentiment is echoed by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports (via Twitter), who adds that a contract for Barkley, Josh Jacobs of the Raiders or Cowboys‘ back Tony Pollard would come as a surprise at this point. Only Pollard has signed his $10.1MM franchise tag as of now.
As a result, both Barkley and Jacobs would not be obligated to attend their respective training camps if they exited today without a long-term deal in hand. Both backs have been named as a candidate to sit out during Week 1, though the prospect of choosing to miss out on game checks would make such a scenario an unlikely one. Playing on the tag in 2023 would be an unwanted consolation for both players looking to reverse a downward trend in the running back market, something highlighted this offseason in particular.
To date, the highest guarantee figure Giants have been willing to offer is $19.5MM, but that appears to have recently changed. Dunleavy tweets that New York has submitted an offer “in the ballpark” of $22MM in terms of guarantees, but with a decreased annual average value compared to the one including $19.5MM. General manager Joe Schoen has shown a willingness to change the team’s position as circumstances shift. After their last-minute deal was worked out with quarterback Daniel Jones in March, the Giants withdrew the standing offer which was in place for Barkley, allowing them to apply the franchise tag. How far the team decides to go in terms of length, AAV and guarantees will be worth watching closely, especially as it relates to negotiations between Jacobs and the Raiders.
Barkley enjoyed a career year on the ground in 2022 (1,312 rushing yards), serving as the focal point of New York’s offense. The past campaign was only his second one spent at full health, however, and the team has Jones on the books through 2026 and a modified pass-catching corps led by tight end Darren Waller in place to help him take what they hope will be a notable step forward this season. The degree to which Barkley fits into the Giants’ intermediate- and long-term plans will be determined soon.
The clock is ticking…
I’d give him the $10m this season, and write in a no tag clause into the agreement for next offseason. He seems to be a good dude, never heard of him in trouble. But the market says don’t sign RB’s long term.
You get paid by position value in todays nfl, then your level of talent within that position. Unfortunately for today’s NFL Running back, both are low.
I don’t think it’s unfortunate. Kickers, punters, long snappers, rest of special team players, career backups all get paid as little as possible.
Josh Johnson is a 37 year old career BU QB still playing. He figured out the league and makes solid six figures every season. Good for him.
In contract negotiations you have to read not only the room but the market. While I understand both sides positions, Barkley is the ultimate one who will lose here.
The RB market is depressed and he wants more than double what FA RB’s received on the open market this year. Also, Barkleys tag was the type where other teams could offer a contract with the Giants having the opportunity to match. No one did, meaning his market value in the open market is not what he wants.
The other factor against him is his injury history. Out of 5 seasons he only has 2 in which he was healthy (he did play with a bad shoulder last year for 10 games, plus playoffs, so even last year he played hurt). What team is going to pay top of the market guaranteed salary to a player who historically has a 40% chance of being healthy for the entire season?
Lastly, as it’s been historically shown, RB’s fall off the cliff around the 28-30 year mark. Just look at the amount of 27 year old former top 5 RB’s available as we speak.
If I was Barkleys agent I would point all this out to him, then around 3:30pm today take the best offer the Giants have available. Just my opinion.
Don’t let your kid play Running Back, electrifying position we all love but I wouldn’t pay an RB either, gonna have to start bringing intangibles plus skills at RB