Saquon Barkley Expresses Disappointment with Giants' Contract Negotiations

Saquon Barkley expressed dissatisfaction with the New York Giants' handling of his contract negotiations, saying that the team's approach felt "disrespectful."

Saquon Barkley, the former star running back for the New York Giants, has revealed his disappointment with the team's handling of his contract negotiations during the offseason. In an interview on The Athletic's "Scoop City" podcast, Barkley expressed his feelings of disrespect over the Giants' request for him to bring back an offer from the open market.

"It's kind of like a slap in the face [to say], ‘You go see what you are worth, and then if you're worth that, we'll see if you're worth it, and maybe we'll match it,'" Barkley said.

Saquon Barkley Expresses Disappointment with Giants' Contract Negotiations

The Giants' decision to let Barkley test the free agent market was documented in a recent episode of "Hard Knocks: Offseason With the New York Giants." The episode showed general manager Joe Schoen informing Barkley that the Giants would allow him to enter free agency after failing to reach an agreement on a long-term deal for the second consecutive offseason.

During the phone call with Schoen, Barkley expressed his desire to remain with the Giants, but he also admitted that he came to a realization that the situation had changed. "It was over after that phone call, in my opinion," Barkley said of his time in New York. "It was over after that because I never in my heart truly believed they were going to match it, or they only wanted me for a lower price."

Ahead of free agency, Barkley acknowledged his concerns about the market for running backs. However, he said that "a lot of teams" sent him "true offers" when free agency opened, which he believes may have surprised the Giants. "I felt like the Giants thought that I was going to go out there and get $9 [million per year], maybe $8 [million per year] or a stretch at $10 [million per year] and then I'll come back to them, ‘Alright, we got you if you want to come play at $9 [million per year], you come play at $9 [million per year],'" Barkley said. "I truly think that would've gotten it done. I think that's where they valued me at, or where Joe valued me at. He had a price point where he was willing to pay and he wasn't going to go over it."

Barkley ultimately signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, a division rival of the Giants. He said that the Giants were "really not in play" for his services.

Barkley also shared his displeasure with a comment Schoen made about his contract negotiations after he received the franchise tag in 2023, saying, "Joe, he made a comment saying that it took 10 years off his life. Like, if it took 10 years off your life, what do you think it did for me?"

Barkley's decision to join the Eagles drew criticism from fans and media in New York. He admitted that the criticism caused him to reconsider posting a goodbye video on social media. "That was just really immature of me," Barkley said of that decision. "That's the one thing of that whole process that I kind of regret."

Despite his departure from the Giants, Barkley expressed his gratitude for the team and the fans. "I had a lot of great moments there," he said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to play there."