Barkley: 'I want to be a Giant for life'
Running back Saquon Barkley is sticking by his past statements, wishing to remain with the New York Giants long term.
"I've mentioned before that I want to be a Giant for life," Barkley said, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. "That was a goal of mine when I got drafted. I wanted to leave a legacy here, but it's out of my control."
Leading up to the trade deadline, Barkley said he didn't want to get dealt and expressed confidence in the organization going forward.
Barkley has been with the Giants since they drafted him second overall in 2018. He agreed to play the 2023 season on a revised franchise tag after the two sides failed to agree on a long-term contract.
The 26-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens in March.
"I'm still as open as I was before," Barkley said. "I just want something that is fair. ... But like I said, I get it. It's a business. If it's not here, hopefully, it's some other place."
He added, "I do know that if I'm going to strike, I have to do it now. This is really probably my last opportunity to get a second deal. After that, the way they view running backs and treat running backs, it's not really ideal if you're looking at it that way."
Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Taylor - two other star running backs - were also involved in public contract negotiations with their respective teams last offseason. Jacobs settled on a revised tag, while Taylor secured a three-year, $42-million contract in October.
Barkley is having a down season after a tremendous 2022 campaign. He's averaging 4 yards per carry on 229 attempts across 13 contests.