In one of the surprises of the NFL offseason, Giants running back Saquon Barkley agreed to a one-year deal with New York amid his displeasure with the franchise tag and the continued devaluing of the running back position.

Barkley, 26, had even threatened a season-long holdout. On Thursday, however, in his first public comments since signing the contract, Barkley explained why he reversed course.

"I had an epiphany," he said with a smile Thursday during a news conference. "No, the reality of it is, one, just kind of following my heart. Obviously, I've heard a lot of what people are saying in the news and on social media, but I kind of just followed my heart. And then you got to look at it as a business point, I felt like it was the best thing I could do.

"Some people may agree or disagree with this, to sit out or sit in. And this year, specifically, I felt like the best thing I could do for myself would be coming back, playing the game that I love, playing for my teammates, doing something I've wanted to do since I was a little kid."

Barkley is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he gained 1,650 yards from scrimmage on 352 touches with 10 total touchdowns. His 1,312 rushing yards marked a career high, and his 57 receptions were tied for the lead among all Giants players.

The Giants made him the centerpiece of their offense under new coach Brian Daboll and New York went 9-7-1, making a surprise trip to the postseason as an NFC wild-card team. Daboll won the AP Coach of the Year award.

Still, as the collective value of running backs across the league continues to sag when compared with other positions, Barkley and his colleagues have been trying to fight for higher compensation and push back on the franchise tag, which many running backs see as a detriment to long-term financial security.

A collective of running backs, led by Austin Ekeler of the Chargers, held a Zoom call to discuss ways to maximize their leverage and value.

Barkley, who would've made $10.1 million on the franchise tag had he signed it, ended up signing with the Giants on a deal that is worth up to $11 million and includes a $2 million signing bonus.

"I know what's going on with the running back situation and me being tagged, the value of the running back continuing to go down," Barkley said. "The only way I feel like that's going to change is someone has got to make a change. God willing, hopefully I can be one of those people who do it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giants' Saquon Barkley explains change of heart on signing contract