Giants RB Saquon Barkley to miss minicamp amid contract negotiations: ‘It’s all about respect’
Saquon Barkley and the Giants have until July 17 to strike a deal
The New York Giants have mandatory minicamp starting this week, but star running back Saquon Barkley won’t be there.
Barkley told ESPN on Sunday that he hasn’t signed the franchise tag offer the Giants used on him earlier this year, which prohibits Barkley from attending camp this week.
Barkley is still looking for a long term deal from the Giants, something he and the team have until July 17 to complete.
"I think they're open to talking. I'm open to talking," Barkley said, via ESPN. "I think at the end of the day, if you really break it down and look at it as a whole, there is no rush. There is still time on the table to get to July 17. July 17 is not tomorrow. It's not in a week. That is how I look at it.
“Maybe that is the naïve way to look at it, I could be completely wrong. But for me, that's how I look at it. I could be completely wrong. Hopefully. I trust in the Giants that we could get something done."
The Giants used a non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley in March worth just more than $10 million. According to ESPN, Barkley turned down a deal from the Giants that could have been worth close to $14 million per season earlier this year.
As for what happens if a deal doesn’t get done by July 17, Barkley said he would consider sitting out — though he has admitted that he hadn’t thought about it much so far.
"That comes up in the conversation if something doesn't get done by July 17 … At the end of the day, it’s all about respect. That is really what it is," Barkley said, via ESPN.
Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards and had 10 touchdowns last season for the Giants, his fifth with the team. He also matched a team-high with 57 receptions, and he helped the Giants into the postseason for the first time in his career.
It’s unclear what deal Barkley is looking for — though it’s more than $14 million per season. San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is the highest-paid running back in the NFL at just more than $16 million per season. A $14 million-per-year deal would make Barkley the third-highest paid running back in the league.
"I see [the running back market]. I'm aware of that," Barkley said, via ESPN. "I feel like I'm more than that. I feel we finally got to a place where we're a successful team. We got to start winning games, and I was a big part of that."
He said Sunday that if there is a “deal that’s fair to both sides,” he’ll be ready to sign it. Whether that goes down before the July 17 deadline, however, remains to be seen.
