The New York Giants and their fans received favorable news just before training camp.
Saquon Barkley will report to training camp with a new one-year contract in hand.
The team and the running back were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term extension by the July 17 deadline set by the NFL for players facing the franchise tag to negotiate a long-term contract. Nevertheless, the parties have agreed to a short-term contract for the 2023 season, giving Barkley the opportunity to outperform the current franchise tag number for running backs.
Under the current CBA franchise tag structure, running backs with a franchise tag earn slightly more than $10 million per season. Barkley and the Giants reportedly agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $11 million, with a $2 million signing incentive.
Surprise!
The #Giants and star RB Saquon Barkley agreed to terms on a new 1-year deal worth up to $11M, sources say, as Barkley gives himself a chance to beat the franchise tag. He gets a $2M signing bonus.
Bottom line: Barkley is coming in & will be at training camp. pic.twitter.com/A5PR7RWLfQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2023
Barkley, along with Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard, is one of three running backs who received the franchise tag from their respective organizations but could not agree to a long-term contract.
This fact, along with the general shift in importance that NFL teams are placing on the running back position, has sparked considerable discussion in recent days. After the deadline for these three running backs to sign a long-term contract passed, other running backs took to social media to criticize the situation.
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This past weekend, Barkley joined a group of running backs on a Zoom call to discuss the financial state of the position.
It remains to be seen whether Jacobs and Pollard adopt a similar strategy in the future. It will also be intriguing to see the complete terms of this transaction.
Remember that Barkley was facing $10.091 million under the franchise tag? With this new contract worth “up to $11 million,” is the tag amount guaranteed? The demon may reside in the contract’s fine print.
According to information from NFL insider Josina Anderson, this tag number is secure:
#Giants RB @saquon agrees to a 1-year deal this am, per source. @RapSheet first on the agreement.
I’m told Barkley gets the franchise tag figure of $10.1M, plus an opportunity to make 909k in incentives for a total of 11M. The #Giants gave him $2M of the $10.1M in signing bonus.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 25, 2023
There is also no clause in the new contract prohibiting the Giants from using the franchise tag on Barkley during the upcoming season.
Nonetheless, this is good news for the Giants, who are hoping to return to the postseason after a remarkable run last year.
