Throughout the offseason, there has been growing concern about the future of Saquon Barkley with the New York Giants. After being upset about playing under the franchise tag for the 2023 season, Barkley refused to appear in the team's minicamp.
With training camp ahead this month, a new report emerged about the running back. As per Dianna Russini of ESPN, Barkley's availability in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys is up in the air due to his contract situation.
In this article, we will discuss whether the Giants RB will play in Week 1 of the new season or not and its implications for fantasy football managers.
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Will Saquon Barkley play in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season?
After Mike Florio revealed details about Saquon Barkley's rejection of the New York Giants' offer of around $13 million per year, the 26-year-old star took to Twitter to call Florio's report a lie.
This demonstrates that the media isn't up to date on the running back's contract negotiations with the Giants. However, given recent developments, the NFC East team is expected to be able to sign their star player to a contract extension soon.
The Giants will hope to finalize the deal before training camp, knowing how important Barkley is to their team. The Giants made the playoffs last season, and after offering a lucrative extension to Daniel Jones, they want to settle Barkley's future as well.
Insider believes Saquon Barkley will sign a new deal soon
Fox Sports analyst Craig Carton recently stated that the New York Giants could sign Saquon Barkley to an extension by Monday. Although he was unsure whether the deal would be completed by Monday, he believes the running back will play for the Giants in Week 1.
Everyone in the league understands that the Giants cannot afford to lose the former Penn State running back, so a new contract makes sense for both parties. Since there will be no doubts about Barkley's future with the team, fantasy managers can get the most out of him next season.
Last season, Saquon Barkley finished with 295 carries for 1,312 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in 16 games in 2022
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