Giants’ Daniel Jones hoping star running back finds his way back to offense

new york giants, daniel jones, saquon barkley
Aug 11, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) hands the ball off to running back Saquon Barkley (26) during the first half of a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants have been without superstar running back Saquon Barkley for the start of their offseason programming. Barkley has yet to sign the franchise tag that the team placed on him back in February, making him ineligible to participate in offseason programming.

Contract negotiations between Barkley and the Giants have stalled recently with no conclusion in sight. New York was, however, able to strike a deal this offseason with QB Daniel Jones. Big Blue signed Jones to a four-year, $140 million contract, cementing him as the team’s franchise quarterback. Now Jones is hoping to see the team lock in Barkley with a new deal.

Daniel Jones hopes Giants, Barkley can work out a deal

When asked about Barkley’s absence from OTAs, Jones praised the star running back and expressed hope that he and the Giants will reach a deal soon.

“Saquon has been a very important part of what we’ve done here and he’s a tremendous part of this offense,” Jones said via the New York Post. “I hope they can get something done.” 

Jones and Barkley stayed in touch this offseason, getting together in Arizona for throwing sessions in April with a group of offensive teammates. “We had a good turnout,” Jones said. “Just about everybody made it out there. We spent some time on the field working out and introducing some stuff. Saquon has been a great teammate to everybody in the locker room, and I think that says a lot about him as a guy.” 

New York is still hoping to get a deal done with Barkley ahead of the July 17th deadline for teams and franchise-tagged players to sign multi-year contract extensions. However, HC Brian Daboll has stressed that all conversations between Barkley and the team regarding his contract situation will remain private.

Barkley, now 26 years old, is coming off a 2022 season in which he totaled a career-high 1,312 rushing yards. He added 10 touchdowns in the regular season and was instrumental to the Giants’ success in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Since being drafted second overall in 2018, Barkley has had a tumultuous career hampered by injuries. But when healthy, Barkley is one of the premier talents in the league. He’s been New York’s greatest offensive weapon for the past five years and Daniel Jones is hoping Barkley continues to play that role in 2023 and beyond.