(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
After a lot of speculation and rumors about contract talks with star running back Saquon Barkley, the New York Giants didn’t agree to a contract extension with their current face of the franchise, and now they’ll expect him to play on a franchise tag for next season.
Much like the situations with Tony Pollard and the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders with Josh Jacobs, these contract discussions aren’t so much about annual salary but rather some long-term security.
The one thing running backs lack in today’s game is security, and a franchise tag gives the team leverage as it is basically a one-year deal for $10 million.
That said, Barkley and his peers fear getting hurt now more than ever, as the team can simply let him walk next year with no further cost to them, which isn’t ideal for the player.
Now that Barkley has to play on a franchise tag in 2023, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky advised the Giants star not to show up until Week 1 of the regular season.
Don’t show till week 1 https://t.co/9VUpCFtXM6
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) July 17, 2023
In this situation, all the risk is on Barkley moving forward, as an injury during training camp would be devastating for him and his future with the team and in the NFL in general.
It’ll be interesting to see what direction Barkley goes from here, as it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he sits out of the upcoming season and doesn’t want to risk his long-term health playing on a franchise tag for $10 million.
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