There was a time when Saquon Barkley thought he would spend his entire career with the New York Giants, but things have changed.
The star running back is getting set to hit free agency this offseason, and it’s looking less and less likely that he will be remaining with the Giants, the only team he has ever known.
It seems like that reality is dawning on Barkley.
“Yeah, I mean it never crossed my mind until last year after I got tagged,” Barkley said, via Zion Olojede of Complex. “Up until that moment, I really believe that I was gonna finish my career as a New York Giant.”
While Barkley did not entirely rule out the possibility of returning to New York, he says he has allowed himself to become more open to playing for another organization.
“You know, that was a goal of mine. And that’s still in play,” he continued. “I have so much respect for the Mara family and the Tisch family and everyone in the Giants organization. They know that but once you get to this point, you go to your contract negotiation and you go through the tag process, you realize how much of a business it is. And I remember vets always telling me this and you know I believed them, but you don’t really know something until you go through it. So could I see myself in another uniform? Yeah, it’s possible.”
Not only was Barkley drafted by the Giants in 2018, but he was also born in the Bronx, so his connection to New York is undeniable.
However, the 26-year-old was a free agent last year, and as he noted, Big Blue slapped a franchise tag on him and ultimately re-signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal.
The chances of the Giants retaining Barkley on a multi-year contract seem very slim, so it seems more than probable that he will be playing his football elsewhere in 2024 and beyond.
Saquon Barkley has made a pair of Pro Bowl appearances during his time in New York, but his Giants career will also unfortunately be largely defined by his inability to stay healthy, which has certainly played a role in the franchise’s reluctance to commit to him long term.
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