Will the Giants Sign Saquon Barkley to a Contract Extension? Fantasy Football Outlook

Running back Saquon Barkley is not yet an official member of the New York Giants. He hasn’t signed the $10.091 million franchise tag the team offers. Therefore, he is not allowed to join the team’s off-season program when it starts next week.

Barkley has been essential to the Giants’ postseason return after five seasons. The former Penn State standout had a bounce-back year with 1,312 rushing yards, fourth-most among all running backs. He also had ten rushing touchdowns and 338 receiving yards.

Those numbers earned him a second Pro Bowl selection.

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Barkley Is A Fantasy Football Must-Have

He ranked fifth in fantasy points among running backs last season with 284. Barkley also had 57 receptions, the sixth-most among running backs. The former second-overall pick was tied for third in rushing plays of at least 20 yards last season with nine.

Barring any injuries and a boost to their receiving corps, Barkley is poised to have a strong 2023 fantasy football season. Darius Slayton is the best wideout left in their depth chart, with 724 yards and two touchdowns in 2022. If that doesn’t change, the team will rely heavily on Barkley, giving him more opportunities to gain yards and score touchdowns.

But in a division with receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, and Terry McLaurin, the Giants might need to improve at wide receiver to have a fighting chance against their rivals. New York had a 1-4-1 record against their fellow NFC East teams last season. Adding a legitimate threat opens up the running lanes for Barkley.

Barkley Putting Pressure On The Giants

Barkley can still agree with the tag after the offseason program starts but before the July 15 deadline. But he would like a long-term deal, especially after seeing Daniel Jones sign a four-year, $160 million contract extension this offseason.

The 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year did not specify his desired long-term deal range. Yet, since he declared that he is not keen on resetting the market, he would like to be somewhere close to what other top running backs earn. Christian McCaffrey leads the pack with an annual average value of $16,015,875, while Alvin Kamara is second at $15 million.

Conversely, the Giants would like to take their time in offering Barkley a multi-year extension. After all, he has one great year after two down seasons. They want to see if their star running back can sustain that production level before giving a long-term deal.

Barkley can raise the stakes by negotiating with other teams and signing an offer sheet, given his tag’s non-exclusive nature. However, the Giants can match that offer or get two first-round picks as compensation. That strategy could backfire because no team would gamble on losing two first-round selections for a running back with an injury history.

Will the Giants budge and give Barkley what he wants? They could stand their ground, especially after Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs signed their tag. But by doing so, they are at risk of losing a player who is a massive part of their offense. It's difficult to see how the Giants will go without him, and they don't have a solid plan to replace him.

Bijan Robinson, the only projected first-rounder among running back prospects, might be off the board when they select 25th in the first round. Meanwhile, no free-agent running back could match his production. Therefore, Barkley's plan might work, earning him job security with the Giants for the next few years.

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