The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley remain at an impasse despite both sides wanting to work out a long-term contract.
Midway through last season, the Giants offered Barkley a deal worth $12.5 million and it was rejected. General manager Joe Schoen promised to revisit negotiations early in the offseason and remained true to his word.
Prior to placing the franchise tag on his superstar running back, Schoen offered Barkley and his camp a deal worth $13 million and again it was rejected.
Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media now reports that the Giants attempted to sweeten the pot, offering Barkley that $13 million deal with $1 million in additional incentives bringing the total possible contract to $14 million.
It didn’t move the needle.
The Giants, according to sources, offered Barkley a multi-year deal worth $12.5 million a season at the bye week, then increased that number to $13 million with a chance to get to $14 million in incentives shortly after the season.
Barkley rejected both deals. He and his agent Kim Miale obviously overestimated the running-back market. They could argue that Barkley doesn’t know his true value because he was blocked from testing the free-agent market after the Giants used the franchise tag on him.
Barkley and his camp reportedly remain firm on their $16 million ask, which would make him the highest-paid running back in the league alongside Christian McCaffrey, who has an AAV of $16.02 million.
At $14 million, assuming he maxed out his incentives, Barkley would have been the third-highest-paid running back in football behind the aforementioned McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints ($15 million AAV).
The Giants have until July 17 to work out a long-term deal or Barkley will be stuck playing on the franchise tender for $10.1 million, which is $3.9 million less than he could have potentially earned on the now-rejected deal.
