New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Breaks Into Top 100 On Forbes List

New York Giants, Saquon Barkley
Dec 30, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) points to his family on the sideline during warmups before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY NETWORK

Saquon Barkley is undoubtedly the best offensive player on the New York Giants this year, and has been a good representative of the team in a number of ways since being drafted in 2018. Now, it looks like Barkley will be a representative of the Giants in yet another way: the sole member of the team to make the Forbes list of 100 highest paid athletes.

Barkley managed to make the list at #93, and while that may sound low, it’s somewhat impressive considering the list takes into account players from all of the American sports leagues as well as international athletes, including those in higher paying sports which have no salary cap.

Here’s what Forbes included about Barkley in their writeup:

  • The New York Giants selected Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and then signed him to a fully guaranteed four-year, $31.2 million contract.
  • Barkley led the league in all-purpose yards – he’s just the third rookie to ever eclipse 2,000 yards – and earned Rookie of the Year honors.
  • Stardom in the New York market has made Barkley a marketing darling, and he’s already nailed down deals with major brands like Pepsi, Toyota and Visa.
  • Heading into 2019, only five other running backs have higher average salaries than Barkley.

With the departure of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, Barkley managed to find himself as the only member of the New York Giants to make the list, which was headlined by European soccer stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar, as well as boxer Canelo Alvarez.

So far, it looks like Barkley’s contract has been money well spent for the Giants… The Dave Gettleman era has had some questionable decisions so far, but taking Barkley in the draft wasn’t one of them – and Barkley’s performances are only expected to improve as his usage potentially rises this season, after his first year gave him much needed experience.