Getty New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley commented on the possibility of Week 18 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles being his final start with Big Blue.
The New York Giants have several big decisions to make in 2024 and one of them is the future of superstar running back Saquon Barkley.
For the second straight offseason, Barkley will be an unrestricted free agent in March. That means Week 18 against the Philadelphia Eagles could theoretically be Barkley’s final outing as a member of Big Blue — a reality that he addressed on January 3.
“No,” the 2018 No. 2 overall pick first replied when asked if he ever thinks about this being his last game with the Giants. “Obviously, that’s a possibility,” Barkley acknowledged.
Continuing: “A lot of that’s out of my control so for me, I kind of just try to keep the main thing the main thing. And like I said, the biggest thing is this locker room and this team is going to be completely different next year. So, cherish the moments and go out there, try and go off on a high note.”
Later, he also admitted that he hopes to “have that conversation” on his future with the Giants during his exit interview after Week 18. “I’ve handled this situation the best I’ve could,” Barkley voiced to reporters. “I feel like it would be the right thing to just shoot me straight, let me know what it’s going to be, and then let me make my decisions and move on from there.”
Giants’ Saquon Barkley Gets Honest About Possible Franchise Tag in 2024
In a follow-up question, Barkley was asked about potentially being franchise tagged once again.
“Obviously, I don’t think any player wants to get franchise tagged,” the playmaker stated candidly.
He also noted that, “sometimes the franchise tag is a placeholder to be able to work on a [new] deal later.”
Barkley did add that in his case, his team wasn’t able to work out a long-term extension with the Giants after being tagged in 2023. “If I got tagged again, I think I’d give you a better answer or talk about my emotions in that time,” he clarified. “If it does happen.”
Within the Q&A, Barkley confirmed that he “has no idea” if the NYG front office plans to re-sign him in 2024. He also reiterated that he would still like to be a Giant “for life,” assuming the organization wants that too.
Examining Key Factors of Giants’ Looming Saquon Barkley Decision
The Giants ended up bringing Barkley back in 2023, but the circumstances have changed. The major difference is that in 2024, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll could choose to reboot the franchise and draft a new quarterback.
Although Barkley’s presence on the roster would certainly help a rookie QB, paying a running back doesn’t necessarily align with a potential rebuild. Having said that, Daniel Jones’ health is another factor.
The Giants could both reload at quarterback and compete in 2024 if Jones is ready to go in Week 1. In that scenario, it might make sense to work things out with Barkley being that Jones has played much better when he’s on the field.
At the end of the day, Barkley is still the Giants’ best offensive weapon and — at 27 years old in February — is probably a net positive if he’s in the building both as a team leader and a player.
On the flip side, the Giants have only achieved one winning season since drafting Barkley in 2018 (9-7-1 in 2022). Over that span, they’ve gone a collective 33-64-1.
Of course, that’s not all Barkley’s fault, but he hasn’t elevated this team into a winner either.
So, most fans would agree that Barkley has not been the problem, but it’s clear he hasn’t been the solution either. That makes this a very difficult decision for Schoen and Daboll — who must do everything in their power to get things back on the right track in 2024.