Commanders Rival RB Saquon Barkley: ‘F— You’ Giants?

As tension continues to mount the Washington Commanders may find their division rival New York Giants down a valuable man with Saquon Barkley threatening to sit out.

When the New York Giants opted to re-sign quarterback Daniel Jones and franchise tag running back Saquon Barkley, Washington Commanders fans chuckled a little bit. 

Because even though the Commanders failed to get a win over the Giants last season it’s clear that the biggest threat for that trend to continue was the running back, not the quarterback. 

But New York saw it different, and now they have Jones under contract and Barkley threatening a holdout.

“My leverage is I could say, ‘f— you’ to the Giants, I could say, ‘f— you’ to my teammates,” Barkley said during an appearance on The Money Matters Podcast recently. “You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down. And that’s a play I could use.”

Barkley’s words came prior to Monday’s deadline for teams to sign franchise tagged players to new deals, meaning the back will have to play this season earning  just over $10 million without any further security beyond the season. 

And that’s what the conflict boils down to. 

Many players around the league voiced their displeasure with what has happened with not only Barkley but Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs as well as Dallas Cowboys ball-carrier Tony Pollard.

Jacobs was the NFL’s leading rusher last season while Barkley finished in the top four, and Pollard himself was a 1,000-yard rushing back as well. 

Of the six players issued franchise tags this offseason, they are the only three to not subsequently get extensions. 

And that’s what’s standing out. 

From a Commanders lens, if Barkley goes through with his threat to lash out at the Giants for disrespecting his value it would only help coach Ron Rivera get the winning season he’s been seeking since arriving ahead of the 2020 season. 

Of course, if New York were able to be Washington in the two matchups against each other without Barkley - and more importantly earn a winning record overall - then it would only serve to justify the franchise’s actions. 

And in a sense, that would justify the others. 

Making this a storyline that goes beyond the NFC East Division rivalries, and could impact the way players and teams deal in the near and long-term futures. 

Including next offseason when the Commanders have to make decisions on running backs Antonio Gibson and Jonathan Williams who are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the SI.com team page here