Barkley had to battle intensely for a quality salary in 2023, agreeing to a revised deal resembling the one offered to him by the franchise tag. New York declined to commit to Barkley long term, instead handing quarterback Daniel Jones $160 million over four years, and decided to proceed with a prove-it deal for the star running back.
Jones has been sidelined for a while now. Barkley, meanwhile, has played in 13 of a possible 16 games, carrying the load on the ground for a Giants offense that hasn’t given him much room to work.
But he doesn’t play the game’s most important position, instead fulfilling a role at a position with a notoriously short shelf life. With this — and Barkley’s injury history — in mind, it seems unlikely he’ll fetch the coveted multi-year deal from the Giants, especially after they failed to meet expectations in 2023.
“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.”
Barkley’s 2022 resurgence reawakened the NFL world to his talents, which had been lost to the injury bug for most of the previous two campaigns. It was the perfect time for Barkley to land a multi-year deal, but New York slapped the franchise tag on him, preventing him from hitting free agency.
This time around, it seems likelier the Giants won’t use the tag on him. And Barkley knows he’s running out of years to capitalize in the open market.
“I do know that if I’m going to strike, I have to do it now,” Barkley said. “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.
“I would definitely love to get a second deal.”