Report: Giants had contract talks with Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants held contract talks with running back Saquon Barkley over the team’s bye week, per a report from Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.

Giants General Manager Joe Schoen said before the Giants’ Week 9 bye that the team would have talks about certain contract extensions. He also added that if one was going to happen during the season, it would happen by Monday (Nove. 7) to avoid distracting the team while preparing for a game.

The two sides were unable to reach a deal before the end of the Giants’ bye week, so contract talks will have to resume after the season.

Barkley has been a driving force for the Giants’ offense since returning to health in 2022, and it would make sense for the Giants to want to keep him around after this year.

We don’t know the contract value that either side is targeting, though it seems likely that the two sides are far enough apart that they couldn’t get a deal done in a week. Rapoport and Garafolo mention in their report that Barkley’s camp is targeting the four-year $64 million contract signed by Christian McCaffrey in 2020. The Giants would obviously like to secure Barkley’s services for a smaller price tag than the $16 million per year average that the Carolina Panthers gave McCaffrey.

Garafolo and Rapoport also add that their sources confirm that Schoen and the Giants had extension talks with safety Julian Love’s representation over the bye week. Love has stepped up in his role as a starter and defensive captain this year, and the Giants would certainly like to make him a stalwart in their defense.

It’s also worth noting that offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and safety Xavier McKinney will be eligible for contract extensions during the 2023 off season as well.