The New York Giants have a huge problem up ahead. Saquon Barkley has refused to go to the team’s minicamp amid contract negotiations. Now, the running back has made it clear that he may consider not to play the 2023 NFL season with the NFC East team due to this matter.
Once the 2022 season ended, the Giants decided to give Daniel Jones a long-term deal over Saquon Barkley. The team placed the franchise tag on the running back, but he has not signed it yet.
According to reports, Barkley is refusing to sign it as the offers from the Giants for a long-term deal have not matched his expectations. Amid these problems, the running back has now revealed he may take an unexpected path for the upcoming campaign that could harm the Giants a lot.
Saquon Barkley is considering not to play the 2023 NFL season
The Giants are against the wall right now. The team has a few weeks left to offer Saquon Barkley a long-term deal. If they don’t do it, the running back will play the 2023 season under the franchise tag and then become an unrestricted free agent, but things could change very soon.
Amid contract negotiations, Barkley has now revealed that his frustration could lead to an unexpected decision. The running back is considering to sit out and not play the 2023 season with the Giants.
“I think that’s a conversation,” Barkley answered when questioned if he would sit out the upcoming campaign. “Like you said, that’s a card I could play. That comes up in conversation if something don’t get done by July 17. … We got a little bit of time in between there. When that date comes up, then I’ll have to sit down with my team, sit down with my family and make decisions. See what we’re going to do. What’s the next game plan? What’s the next move?”
Under the franchise tag, Saquon Barkley is set to make over $10 million this year. According to reports, the former Penn State received an astonishing offer in which he would have made around $14 million per season, but the structure of the contract was a huge problem for the team to make it happen.