Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants were unable to keep their spark ignited as they fell 24-6 to the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday. After finding little success on the offensive end, Barkley’s recent comments make his future in New York look even more uncertain.
Will Offensive Woes Be the Straw That Breaks the Camel’s Back in Barkley’s Future With the Giants?
Per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Barkley addressed what he believes to be a recurring problem that the Giants have yet to overcome in stopping the bleeding earlier in games. This was just a tidbit in a lengthy assessment of the many ways in which the Giants have dropped the ball from an execution standpoint.
“It’s part of the league, you try your best to stay away from it but sometimes games like that are gonna happen. We got to do a better job, collectively, of putting ourselves in better positions to make plays and when the plays come, making those plays when things are going bad and we didn’t do it. If you look at a lot of our games this year, the games we lost and the games that got out of hand, we never stopped the bleeding. It’s been a common theme in the games that have been bad for us this year. We got to find a way to get better in those situations.”
Saquon Barkley via the New York Post
It’s no secret that Barkley and the Giants have been at odds since he was last signed to another franchise tag this past offseason. While he, head coach Brian Daboll, and owner John Mara have all spoken openly about wanting Barkley to remain a Giant for the entirety of his career, the performance of the team has been rocky and the attractiveness of his contract as well.
Barkley went for 14 yards on nine rush attempts against New Orleans and he along with the rest of the team could not get going from the line of scrimmage. His frustrations bear credence, though the Giants have gotten better at taking care of the football and playing more quality football for 60 minutes.
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A String of Offseason Moves Will Further Impact Barkley’s Future With the Giants
Albeit, the Giants have uncertainty looming with Daniel Jones’ injury and status with the team up in the air, as well as an upcoming NFL Draft that could shift the franchise direction entirely depending on where the Giants fall and who falls to them in the order.
Once Barkley’s $10.09 million franchise tag expires this winter, he’ll enter free agency having been the sixth-highest paid running back in the league in 2023. Potential suitors could make him the highest-paid rusher ahead of Tennesee Titans star Derrick Henry who makes $16 million.
The Giants‘ front office will have to do everything in their power to appease Barkley while also dealing with the future of Tommy DeVito. Part of that appeasement will be strengthening their offensive line and constructing a roster that will be more competitive in 2024. Otherwise, New York could lose their best player.
