Despite the incredible season he’s having, running back Saquon Barkley is no lock to return to the New York Giants next season. The Giants will likely have to choose between keeping Barkley and keeping quarterback Daniel Jones in a move that might come down to which of the two they can squeeze under the cap.
For Bleacher Report NFL analyst Alex Ballentine, the decision seems pretty clear. In a recent article, Ballentine predicted that Barkley will re-up with the Giants on a long-term contract extension.
Ballentine pointed out that between Barkley’s importance to the team and the likely need to use the franchise tag on Jones rather than Barkley, they’ll “bite the bullet” and give Barkley an extension.
“Ultimately, the Giants are going to have to bite the bullet and hand Barkley a multi-year contract. While other teams could use him, he’s especially valuable to the Giants. He has the highest dominator rating in the league, a metric that quantifies what percentage of a team’s touchdowns and total yards a player accounts for…”
Saquon Barkley has looked rejuvenated under first-year head coach Brian Daboll. Through eight games he already has more yards and touchdowns than the previous 15 games from the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined.
Barkley is on pace for nearly 400 touches this season. He’s already a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, Pro Bowl, All-Pro, Offensive Player of the Year and maybe even MVP honors depending on how he finishes the season.
One thing is for sure: The Giants can’t let their feature running back go now, not with the season he’s having.
Whether Barkley agrees to a new deal with them remains to be seen.