Saquon Barkley’s future with the New York Giants is once again uncertain. The Pro Bowl running back is set to enter free agency this spring, a year after the team placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him. Despite contract negotiations in the previous year, Barkley and the Giants reached a renegotiated tag for the 2023 season.
As the 2024 free agency approaches, it is reported that New York is unlikely to use the tag on Barkley again, potentially signaling the end of his tenure with the team that drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
While Barkley had expressed a desire to play his entire career with the Giants in the past, recent indications suggest he may be open to exploring opportunities with a new organization.
“I mean it never crossed my mind until last year after I got tagged,” Barkley told Complex.com when asked if he could see himself playing for a different team. “Up until that moment, I really believe that I was gonna finish my career as a New York Giant. You know, that was a goal of mine. And that’s still in play. I have so much respect for the Mara family and the Tisch family and everyone in the Giants organization.
“They know that but once you get to this point, you go to your contract negotiation and you go through the tag process, you realize how much of a business it is. And I remember vets always telling me this and you know I believed them, but you don’t really know something until you go through it. So could I see myself in another uniform? Yeah, it’s possible.”
Barkley added that he’d love to be in the same realm as Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, and fellow back Tiki Barber as players who played their entire career with the Giants, but also noted that he’d be “able to move on.”
Barkley, plagued by injuries throughout his career, managed to play in 30 games over the last two seasons, amassing over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and recording at least 10 total touchdowns in each of those years. At 27, he still possesses prime playing years, though it’s uncertain if they will be spent with the Giants.
If Barkley were to explore other options, here are some noteworthy potential landing spots for the talented running back.
