Saquon Barkley Reveals Telling ‘Plan’ for Giants Future

Getty New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley hinted about plans for an NYG future.

The New York Giants elected not to trade Saquon Barkley at the 2023 deadline, and that show of good faith has the star running back thinking about his NYG future.

“Right now, I think I’m fifth all-time rushing in this franchise,” Barkley told reporters at his locker ahead of Week 9.

“I plan to try to find a way to figure out how to be [number] one,” he said, revealing that it’s “a goal of mine” to surpass Tiki Barber as the all-time Giants leader in rushing yardage. That mark to beat is 10,449, which would mean Barkley needs 5,788 more rushing yards with Big Blue.

As New York Daily News beat writer Pat Leonard pointed out on X, the only way for the impending free agent to do that is for him to finish his career in New York. Despite that fact, Leonard voiced that “Barkley appeared to understand exactly what he was saying” and “believes it could happen.”

Will the Giants Strike a Long-Term Deal With Saquon Barkley in 2024?

Barkley and the Giants settled on a one-year renegotiated contract that featured just over $10 million in financial guarantees in 2023. The agreement left the franchise tag on the table for 2024, however.

According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan on July 25, “Barkley and his team were hoping to receive” a no franchise tag clause as part of the deal, but didn’t. He added that “this was quite a concession by Barkley.”

So, will NYG general manager Joe Schoen do right by the face of the franchise next offseason by signing him to a long-term extension?

It’s possible. After all, the Indianapolis Colts and running back Jonathan Taylor finally agreed to terms after a similarly contentious summer.

Over the Cap lists that contract as a three-year deal worth up to $42 million. More importantly (considering their position), Taylor received approximately $19.348 million in guaranteed money and a potential APY of $14 million per year.

Could this provide the framework for a Barkley commitment? Taylor turned 24 years old last January while the Giants RB will be 27 next February, so minor adjustments are probably needed.

Having said that, you can bet both sides will reference this contract during round two of their upcoming negotiations.

NYG Reporter Says Saquon Barkley Has ‘Fully Embraced’ Giants for Life Mentality

During the same post on X, Leonard discussed the idea of Barkley becoming a Giant for life.

“Back in March, John Mara sold Barkley on the co-owner’s ‘dream’ that his running back ‘would play his whole career as a Giant like Eli [Manning] did, like [Michael] Strahan did, like Tiki [Barber] did,” the beat reporter relayed.

“Barkley seems to have fully embraced that vision,” Leonard went on, “now that he’s clear of this summer’s ugly contract spat and a trade deadline that marked a key juncture in his tenure with the team.”

“I’ve never changed my opinion of me not wanting to be a Giant for life,” Barkley told the media on November 2, noting that he has since done some “growing up” to acknowledge the business side of things.

“Obviously, you have a lot of Giants, a lot of greats, like the Elis, the Strahans and the Tikis,” he continued. “That’s something I would love to be part of, and I’ve been vocal about that.”

In the end, Barkley concluded that “it’s a business” and he’ll “take it year by year [and] day by day.” He added that whether he can control future impediments or not, the NYG playmaker will attack them “full force.”