Julian Edelman offers support for Saquon Barkley after RB fails to strike new deal with Giants - “Keep grinding bubs”
It is official: Saquon Barkley has failed to land a new contract with the New York Giants after a long holdout.
At 4 pm, the deadline for franchise-tagged players to receive extensions passed, and Saquon Barkley. the New York Giants running back, was among those who were unsuccessful in doing so.
RB Saquon Barkley and the Giants are not expected to reach agreement on a long-term extension before today’s 4 pm ET deadline for franchise players, per sources. https://t.co/tamBrfnPJ1
In response to the development, the 2x pro-bowler could only say:
It is what it is
One player who expressed support for Saquon Barkley was multiple-time Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Julian Edelman. He took to Twitter, offering a few words of motivation for the runing back. He posted:
"Head up. Keep grinding bubs."
Head up. Keep grinding bubs. twitter.com/saquon/status/…
What Saquon Barkley can do after failed New York Giants holdout - and how likely it will happen
According to sources, Saquon Barkley had been seeking any contract that would guarantee him at least $22.2 million; however, the best the Giants could offer him was $19.5 million. But with that off the table, he now has four options:
- Accept the $10.1-million franchise tag and participate in the 2023 season
- Refuse the tag and skip camp, but return just in time for the regular season in Week 1
- Refuse the tag and skip both camp and half the regular season
- Refuse the tag and skip the entire 2023 season (including playoff games)
Barring a change of heart, no. 1 is very unlikely, as Barkley wants the deal he believes he deserves for helping the Giants make their first playoffs since the days of Eli Manning.
Nos. 2 and 3 are more likely - some free agent running backs like Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook still have no teams, so the Giants may first want to see if they get new contracts, and how much they cost, before reaching out to Barkley and offering a similar one.
No. 4 is the riskiest and possibly most dangerous, as it would deprive the Giants of one of their primary offensive weapons. Current backup Matt Breida could step up, but after him there is little to no depth.
Other running backs besides Saquon Barkley who have failed to land extensions at the franchise-tag deadline
2023 is apparently a bad year for running backs, especially those on a franchise tag, and Saquon Barkley is not alone.
The Las Vegas Raiders' Josh Jacobs had also been seeking a new contract, especially after leading the NFL in rushing yards in 2022. However, he has also failed to land a big-money extension and could be holding out even beyond training camp.
But the most surprising failure is that of the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard. Unlike Barkley and Jacobs, Pollard agreed to his franchise tag and has not held out, with expectations of a lucrative extension come the deadline; but according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys are instead retaining said tag.