Former Giants star cautions franchise against offering lucrative deal to Saquon Barkley - “Gonna get hurt, so why pay him?”
Saquon Barkley entered the 2023 NFL offseason seeking a long-term contract extension with the New York Giants. He didn't get it, at least not yet. Instead, the Giants decided to place their franchise tag on the superstar running back.
Barkley is reportedly frustrated with the Giants' decision, apparently threatening to sit out the 2023 NFL season if he doesn't receive a new contract. He officially has until July 17th to decide whether or not to sign the franchise tag tender of $10.1 million if he doesn't get a new deal before then.
Another Giants legendary running back Tiki Barber recently discussed the situation on a Tiki & Tierney episode. He explained why he believes the Giants have rejected to offer Barkely the long-term contract he's seeking.
Here's what Barber had to say:
“The running back is going to get hurt, so why pay him? I know Giant fans want Saquon Barkley on this team, and feel like they need Saquon on this team, but the fact is, if he’s not on this team, I honestly don’t know if they’d be worse off. I think they would be because of the locker room, but I can’t say for a fact, ‘This team won’t win 10 games without Saquon Barkley.’ I can’t say that.”
Running backs are some of the most injury-prone players in the entire NFL due to the constant beating they receive in the position. Barkley is an example of this. The 2022 NFL season marked the first time since his rookie year that he avoided missing games due to injuries.
The injuries, paired with the fact that the running back position has been devalued in recent years, are exactly why Tiki Barber doesn't believe Saquon Barkley will get his desired long-term contract extension from the Giants.
How many games has Saquon Barkley missed due to injuries?
Saquon Barkley played every game in the 2018 NFL season during his rookie year. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year, leading the entire NFL with 2,028 total scrimmage yards. Injuries became a major part of his career after that, as they often do for many running backs.
He missed three games during his second year before appearing in only two games in his third season. He then missed four games in year four and just one game for non-injury reasons in his most recent 2022 NFL season. That brings his career total to 20 missed games due to various injuries in just five years in the NFL.