Star running back Saquon Barkley had been hoping to receive a new contract from the New York Giants after they used their franchise tag on him earlier this offseason.
The deadline for him to come to terms with the team on a new deal was Monday afternoon, and no deal was achieved.
As a result, Barkley is expected to sit out at least part of training camp, and the question is when he will report to the team for the upcoming NFL season.
Some are wondering if he may sit out the entire season, but analyst Will Blackmon, who won a Super Bowl championship with the Giants in 2011, says not playing would be the wrong move for the running back.
Super Bowl champion with the Giants @WillBlackmon doesn’t think Saquon Barkley should sit out this season. pic.twitter.com/4NhBYIQNH2
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) July 17, 2023
The Giants are a team that lacks any bona fide threats in the passing game, and Barkley is their only big threat on the offensive side of the football.
He ran for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022, and even better, he managed to stay healthy after three injury-riddled seasons.
The running back market in the NFL has declined over the years, so Barkley may have to swallow his pride and accept a somewhat lesser deal.
Perhaps a cautionary tale for him is Le’Veon Bell, who was a star running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers several years ago.
After playing the 2017 campaign on their franchise tag, he refused to do so again in 2018 and sat out the entire season.
Although the New York Jets signed him to a lucrative deal in 2019, Bell was never even remotely the same player again.
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Dan Orlovsky Offers Advice To Saquon Barkley