Saquon Barkley made it clear he was not signing the franchise tag that the Giants placed on him ahead of free agency in the spring, making it unlikely that he would report to training camp without a new deal.
After the team failed to reach a contract extension with its star running back, the Giants went back to the bargaining table with Barkley, and the sides have come to terms on a new one-year deal worth up to $11 million, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The contract includes a $2 million signing bonus for Barkley and beats the franchise tag number of $10.1 million that was set on him.
The Giants and Barkley are effectively kicking the can down the road on an extension, and the star running back will now return to a New York offense that took immense strides last season under first-year coach Brian Daboll en route to a playoff berth.
The 26-year-old Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards last season with 10 touchdowns. He also caught 57 passes out of the backfield for 338 yards and finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting.
The Giants are expected to contend in the NFC East again this season, looking to upend the defending division champion and Super Bowl runners-up Eagles.
