Saquon Barkley of the Giants on his contract negotiations with New York: "Whatever happens, happens"

 

This offseason, negotiations for a new deal between the New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley have been put on hold.

This week, Barkley spoke with students at Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania's Temple/St. Luke's Medical School about where he and the Giants stand in contract discussions.

"Where am I at with the Giants at the moment? It's still April, like someone mentioned the other day," Barkley stated through Keith Groller of The Morning Call. "I haven't spoken to Joe [Schoen, the Giants GM] very often. The best course of action for me is to continue working. Whatever occurs, occurs.

There are certain things that I can't truly control at this time. All I can control is how I will approach each morning and continue to pursue my passions and ambitions. Even though I may not currently be on the team or at the facility, I don't believe the Giants are worried about my work ethic, and neither are my teammates.

Schoen stated on Thursday that "nothing's changed" in the team's negotiations with Barkley for a long-term contract.

The Giants gave Barkley a $10.091 million franchise tag in March. The deadline for both parties to reach a multi-year contract agreement is July 17. If not, the two-time Pro Bowl running back will play this season on a one-year tender. Barkley is not yet eligible to take part in offseason team exercises since he has not signed the tender.

For Big Blue, Barkley had a career-high year in 2017 with 295 running attempts for 1,312 rushing yards. In Brian Daboll's first year as head coach, New York made its first postseason berth since 2016 thanks to a healthy Barkley and a breakout season from quarterback Daniel Jones.

The 2022 season was difficult because the final aim wasn't reached, according to Barkley. "You work hard to win a Super Bowl, and clearly we fell short in the division and the playoffs. It also didn't help that the team we lost to was from Philadelphia. I wasn't so much proud of myself as I was of others. It only confirmed what I already knew. Although it's simpler to state, I was aware that the player was still present.

"You've got to go out there and demonstrate it. God kept me healthy, and our team has some incredible coaches and players who placed me in a position to succeed. I was able to show everyone—not just myself—that the player is still there, and today, at 26 years old, I feel like I'm still in my prime.

The Giants' standout running back expects to start the 2023 campaign like last year after dealing with injuries in 2020 and 2021.

There is still a 26 version that many people haven't seen, according to Barkley.