The New York Giants are playing a dangerous game with Saquon Barkley, and vice versa.
Barkley reportedly refuses to play under the franchise tag, and the team has allegedly pulled their offer for a new contract off the table.
That’s why NFL analyst Craig Carton believes that both parties should just come to an agreement before it’s too late, calling out the Giants for not being willing to meet Barkley’s asking price, which is believed to be just one or two million more than they’re currently offering him.
Carton claims it’s more of a New York Jets move than a New York Giants move to fail to reach an agreement with their best offensive player, going as far as to say that Barkley is the Giants’ offense.
Will Saquon Barkley and the Giants reach a long-term deal before 4 ET today? ?⏳
“He IS the New York Giants offense. It doesn’t make business sense to not keep Saquon Barkley signed.” — @craigcartonlive pic.twitter.com/CIhQgr0Jhz
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) July 17, 2023
Saquon is coming off posting career bests-in rushing attempts and rushing yards, all while posting his second-best figures in rushing touchdowns and third-best numbers in yards per rush.
Of course, there will always be injury concerns with a player like Barkley, who’s missed plenty of games with different ailments throughout the course of his NFL career.
Then again, he’s also been — by far — their most productive offensive player, and he’s one of the keys behind Daniel Jones’ new-found success.
The Giants need to have a balanced offense and be a run-first kind of team if they want to make it back to the postseason.
And Barkley also needs to prove that he can stay healthy, which is why both need to make this work ASAP.
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