Saquon Barkley Opens Up About Decision to Sign and Report to Giants Camp

New York Giants running back Saquon Barley explains he had an epiphany regarding his contract standoff with the Giants.
Saquon Barkley Opens Up About Decision to Sign and Report to Giants Camp
Saquon Barkley Opens Up About Decision to Sign and Report to Giants Camp /
In this story:

It took an epiphany for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley to realize his best option amid a contract standoff with the team was to accept a modified franchise tag offer and be there for his teammates and coaches.

"I kind of just followed my heart," he said Thursday after the Giants concluded their second training camp practice. "Obviously. I heard what everyone was saying in the news or on social media, but I kind of just followed my heart. 

"And then, you gotta look at it as a business point. From a business view, I felt like what's the best thing that I can do? And some people may agree or disagree with this and, you know, to sit out or sit in. And I feel like for this year specifically, the best thing I can do for myself would be coming back, going out there, playing a game that I love, playing for my teammates, and doing something I wanna do since I was a little kid."

Barkley was well aware that he was viewed as the poster child for change among the running back brethren in the NFL, given his high-profile status, but in the end, he concluded that the only way he could potentially effect a change was to just come in and ball out.

"I know what's going on with the running back situation and me being tagged, and the running back's value continues going down. The only way that I feel like, you know, someone that's, that's gonna change. Someone gotta make a change, and God willing. Hopefully, I could be one of those people to do it," he said.

Barkley, who did say that holding out was something that crossed his mind, was honest in his characterization of how things went with the negotiation, admitting to being disappointed but also realizing that sulking wouldn't accomplish anything.

"I could sit here and lie to you and be like, you know, I wasn't disappointed, but that would just be a flat-out lie," he said. "But I am mature enough to understand that's a business, that deals don't get done every year. 

"And specific to my position, we didn't get a deal done with me, and my team felt we were in good faith trying to get a deal done. The Giants felt like they were in good faith trying to get a deal done. And that's like sometimes you come to an agreement."

Moving forward, Barkley said he has no ill feelings toward the process nor that teammates Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence, and Andrew Thomas received lucrative deals.

"At the end of the day, anybody who knows me, I'm all about my teammates and my brothers getting paid," he said. "I'm all about success coming to 'em. You see, out throughout the league, there are people who get paid every year, and I'm happy for those guys too. 

"But what I will say for the running back position, not speaking necessarily on my teammates that got signed, there's a lot of running backs out here that are pivotal, a key point to having teams succeed in this league and helping teams succeed in this league. And the way that we are getting devalued, I don't think it's, it's not fair at all. But life's not fair. And hopefully, God willing, I stay healthy to show everyone."


 

 


Published
Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.