Giants Country

Would Saquon Barkley Really Skip the Season if Contract isn't Resolved?

Saquon Barkley isn't happy with his contract situation, but would he really contemplate the extreme step of walking away from his teammates?

Patricia Traina

Would Saquon Barkley Really Skip the Season if Contract isn't Resolved?
Would Saquon Barkley Really Skip the Season if Contract isn't Resolved? /
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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley could have said so much more during his 13-minute press briefing following his youth football camp in Jersey City on Sunday.

He could have clarified the main sticking point in his contract impasse with the Giants. He could have spoken about general manager Joe Schoen's revelation that the team had pulled all offers after assigning him the franchise tag. And he could have shed some insight into the guaranteed money the team is offering versus what he's looking for.

Instead, Barkley kept quiet, only saying that he was unhappy at being portrayed in an unflattering light given all the leaks about his contract talks, particularly that he turned down deals reportedly worth $12.5 million and $14 million, leaks that conveniently failed to mention the most important part of any player contract: the percentage of money guaranteed.

And so here we are on June 12. Barkley is unhappy--hurt, you might say--over his name dragged through the mud as a greedy so-and-so despite his insistence that he's not looking to re-set the market. Barkley is so unhappy that he hasn't ruled out skipping training camp and perhaps even the season, decisions he won't be making until the clock strikes midnight on the July 17 deadline for both sides to get a long-term deal done.

But here's why, if no deal is reached, the worst will be Barley sitting out most of training camp only to show up the last week or so to get into playing shape for the season.

He'll have no leverage. None.

The current running back market isn't very good., not when you see Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook out there or talks of the Titans wanting to move on from Derrick Henry. And because the market isn't good, chances are that the amount of guaranteed money a team is willing to commit to a running back--particularly one such as in Barkley's case that has an injury--isn't likely to be overflowing.

But let's get back to this notion of Barkley potentially sitting out the season and why that's an unlikely scenario.

First, what would it prove? At that point, the deadline is long gone, and it's not as though Barkley has any leverage by then (not that he has much now). Barkley, who prides himself as a competitor, has been training his heart out, preparing to be a part of what's still to come in Year 2 of the Brian Daboll regime. 

For him to throw all that away, along with the $10.1 million guaranteed money the franchise tag would offer as a consolation at that point, just doesn't make sense.

Nor does it make sense for Barkley to skip an entire year, leaving the rest of the league with his film from 2022 as his last quality film on which to judge. It also doesn't make sense because the Giants can, if they wanted to, tag him again in 2023, thereby launching into this entire song and dance all over again.

Now some might argue that if Barkley were to follow through and skip the season, that would "teach the Giants a lesson" as to how valuable he is. But while there is no question of how valuable Barkley is, Schoen made certain to add to the skill position group this off-season to ensure that Barkley doesn't have to be the sole source of offensive yards as he might have been in the past.

Further, those who believe the Giants are sunk without Barkley are just not giving the coaching staff enough credit for having the creativity to overcome such a loss, plus they're ignoring that the Giants are 19-40-1 in regular season games in which Barkley has played.

Don't misunderstand. Having Barkley is preferred, and hopefully, it's something that gets done, the two sides getting what they want and Barkley's bruised feelings over being portrayed in an unflattering light being soothed.

But if not, where would Barkley go then if there is no deal by July 17? The answer is to gamble on himself, as he did last year when he told anyone who asked how he would have a monster season after dealing with injuries in each of the two years prior. 

Yes, there is always the chance he gets hurt again, but at least he'd have the $10.1 million guaranteed cash in his pocket regardless. 

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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.

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