It was a disappointing Monday for working backs, as three Professional Bowlers who have been franchise-tagged — Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders), Saquon Barkley (New York Giants) and Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys) — did not obtain long-term, second NFL contracts from their respective groups forward of the deadline to obtain such offers.
Meaning all three are set to play the upcoming 2023 season on a $10.1 million, fully-guaranteed one-year deal with out the long-term safety of multi-year pact. That is a prospect that has Barkley, the No. 2 total decide within the 2018 NFL Draft who ended up about $2 million aside in negotiations with the G-Males, contemplating the nuclear possibility: sitting out and never taking part in in 2023.
“My leverage is I might say, ‘f— you’ to the Giants, I might say, ‘f— you to my teammates,'” Barkley mentioned Monday after the deadline to signal a brand new contract on an episode of “The Cash Issues” podcast on YouTube. “And be like, ‘You need me to indicate you my price? You need me to indicate you the way beneficial I’m to the group? I will not present up. I will not play a down.’ And that is a play I might use.”
Barkley has since eliminated any affiliate to the New York Giants franchise from his social media platforms.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Professional working again Le’Veon Bell skilled the same state of affairs in 2018, and he adopted by on the risk to carry out, lacking all the season. He hit the free company market in 2019 and signed with the New York Jets on the kind of deal he hoped to get from the Steelers: a four-year, $52.5 million contract.
On the sector, although, Bell was by no means the identical, solely taking part in three NFL seasons. He was launched only a year-and-a-half into the contract he fought to signal after a big downturn following his holdout. Bell averaged 35.8 dashing yards per recreation in his last three seasons from 2019-2021 the place he performed for 4 completely different groups: the Jets, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens. That represented a drop of greater than 50 yards per recreation from his Steelers days wherein he averaged 86.1 dashing yards a contest from 2013-2017. Bell’s instance is among the many the reason why Barkley is uncertain if that is a path he’ll really go down.
“Anyone [who] is aware of me, is aware of that is not one thing I need to do,” Barkley mentioned. “Is it one thing that is crossed my thoughts? I by no means thought I’d ever do this, however now I am at a degree the place I am like, ‘Jesus, I might need to take it to this degree.’ Am I ready to take it to this degree? I do not know. That is one thing I’ve to sit down down and discuss to my household, discuss to my group [of advisers] and strategize about this. Cannot simply go off of feelings. I can attempt to get as a lot cash as I can, however what actually issues is successful. I do know if I will assist carry a championship to New York, that is going to go miles extra forward than this contract.”
Sitting out might trigger the Giants to wrestle with out him, one thing that has occurred with Daniel Jones at quarterbacokay. Barkley, who totaled a career-high 1,312 dashing yards final season, which ranked because the fourth-most within the NFL and probably the most by a Giants participant since Tiki Barber’s 1,662 again in 2006, revealed that he did not even ask to reset the working again market by topping San Francisco 49ers Professional Bowl working again Christian McCaffrey‘s four-year, $64 million deal.
“I imagine I am one of the best working again within the NFL,” Barkley mentioned. “I am not even asking for what I am price. I would not say I am not joyful. The place I am thrown off, or it does not sit proper with me, is I got here out publicly and mentioned that I need to be a Large for all times. I did not need to hit the free-agency market. I really feel like we might’ve obtained the job achieved.”
The 26-year-old reportedly turned down a brand new deal throughout the Giants’ bye week final season that might have paid him a median of $13 million with a assured cost determine of round $19.5 million, in line with the New York Put up. On the podcast, Barkley confirmed he was looking for at least $22.5 million in assured cash, the quantity he would stand to make if franchised-tagged in back-to-back seasons throughout 2023 and 2024.
His 1,650 scrimmage yards accounted for 27.7% of the Giants’ whole offense final season, the fifth-highest fee in all the league trailing solely Derrick Henry (36.1%), Josh Jacobs (32.9%), Nick Chubb (28.5%) and Justin Jefferson (28.3%). But, Barkley felt just like the Giants have been making an attempt to benefit from him in negotiations.
“The quantity they supplied, they thought I would soar at due to my harm historical past,” Barkley mentioned. “I used to be like I would somewhat wager on myself. My comp was two working backs who actually aren’t used within the pass-catching recreation, extra downhill runners, nice working backs. They already confirmed me their hand: They advised me my comp, and I do know their [pay]. If that is what you might be telling me and I do know what they signed for, what are we actually speaking about? After listening to that, they let you know, ‘That is the kind of participant you might be.’ I am like, ‘Eh, no. I can catch the ball. I had 91 catches, the rookie document for a working again.'”
Barkley is aware of contract negotiations within the NFL are a enterprise, however he expressed that he did not respect Giants common supervisor Joe Schoen “threatening” him to take a team-friendly take care of the notion that he could possibly be franchise-tagged in 2023 and 2024.
“It’s a must to take a extra mature route: You possibly can’t simply be like, ‘F– that, I would like one thing truthful,'” Barkley mentioned. “What are we speaking about? Ten million {dollars} is some huge cash, particularly if you take a look at the economics of our nation and the place the poverty fee is, and I am an individual that comes from that. You have got followers, ‘How a lot would you like? We simply need you to be right here?’ That is when it will get upsetting to me. I do not need to come off like I am grasping, like I am conceited. On the finish of the day, you continue to should do what’s best for you.”
Every week previous to negotiations falling aside on the franchise tag deadline on Monday, Barkley mentioned he was “positive” with having to show himself on the sector in one other contract season in 2023. Now, it is much less clear if his plan is to nonetheless be able to roll for Week 1 in opposition to the NFC East rival Cowboys as he seems inside himself to find out the appropriate plan of action.