O.J. Simpson has long been a vocal supporter of New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and that remains the case to this day.
With Barkley and the Giants at odds over a long-term contract and the franchise tag, Simpson again came to the running back’s defense with some sharp comments.
In a short Twitter video posted earlier this week, Simpson argues that the Giants aren’t capable of winning without Barkley and that no one on the team should be earning more than him.
There are not four players more important on the @Giants then @saquon pic.twitter.com/Gtpm4mLJ7t
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 13, 2023
There are several flaws in Simpson’s logic. Chief among them is the market value per position and how devalued running back has become in the NFL. It’s one thing to express displeasure over market values but it’s quite another to suggest the Giants should completely ignore them.
Simpson also conveniently ignored the fact that the Giants offered Barkley a contract that was above market value (new reports suggest $13 million annually) last season and had it rebuffed. That’s an offer that stood until free agency further diluted the running back market, at which point all offers were pulled.
As it relates to quarterback Daniel Jones, there is no data to support the claim that he threw more interceptions without Barkley in the lineup last year given that both players appeared in 16 games. If Simpson is referring to Jones’ earlier years, there are obviously a lot more factors at play than Barkley’s presence alone.
In fact, if that were the defense Simpson wanted to rest on, it would actually reflect poorly on Barkley for his inability to stay healthy over the course of those several seasons.
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