Saquon Barkley Says New Giants Contract Hasn't Crossed His Mind Before Training Camp
June 9, 2021
Saquon Barkley has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but the New York Giants star isn't worried about securing a long-term deal right now.
Per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Barkley said a new contract is "not even something that’s crossing my mind."
This offseason marks the first time that Barkley is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Giants.
New York has already exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal for the 2022 season.
Any potential discussion of a long-term deal for Barkley will likely depend on how he looks in 2021. The 24-year-old missed the final 14 games last season after tearing his ACL on Sept. 20 against the Chicago Bears.
Giants president John Mara spoke about Barkley's contract situation and recovery from the knee injury in March.
"We fully expect him to be as good as new. I mean, if anybody is going to spend 100 percent of his efforts to rehab, it will be Saquon just knowing what type of motivation he has and desire he has. But we're not in any hurry to do that at this point in time, particularly after the money we just spent," Mara told reporters.
The Giants did invest a lot of money in their roster this offseason. They signed Kenny Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract to boost the receiving corps. Cornerback Adoree' Jackson got a three-year deal to upgrade the secondary.
Barkley also missed three games in 2019 due to a sprained ankle. He's been highly productive for the Giants when healthy. The Penn State alum was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 after leading the NFL with 2,028 yards from scrimmage and scoring 15 total touchdowns.