Giants’ Saquon Barkley on 2022 Season: 'The Player They Drafted Is Still There'

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

The New York Giants are getting a determined Saquon Barkley in 2022.

"I kind of just want to kill, go crazy," Barkley told reporters. "I'm tired of whatever's written about me, the BS that is said about me or this team. I want to go out there and prove to this organization that the player they drafted is still there and that I can still do special things with the ball in my hands."

Barkley has been riddled with injuries the past two seasons, tearing his ACL in 2020 before dealing with myriad problems amid his comeback last season. He finished with 593 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while adding 263 yards and two scores as a receiver. The performance was a far cry from the dynamic Rookie of the Year season in 2018, or even his less-than-brilliant followup in 2019. 

Barkley has been riddled with injuries the past two seasons, tearing his ACL in 2020 before dealing with myriad problems amid his comeback last season. He finished with 593 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while adding 263 yards and two scores as a receiver. The performance was a far cry from the dynamic Rookie of the Year season in 2018, or even his less-than-brilliant followup in 2019.

Barkley's stock has fallen so much that there was speculation the Giants were actively looking to trade him. The situation reached the point where new coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen felt the need to speak to Barkley behind the scenes.

"I've talked to Saquon. I've talked to Saquon a fair amount," Daboll said on SNY. "It's important to show a little empathy to the guys in the situations that they're in within this league. I know it's a tough business, but I think it's a people business too. They're people first."

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Running back is the most fungible offensive position, and many criticized the Giants for taking Barkley with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft. Barkley quickly quieted the critics with a sensational rookie campaign, but a series of injuries have proven critics correct about the risks associated with taking a running back early. 

The Giants will pay Barkley $7.2 million in the final year of his rookie contract in 2022. Barring a return to his Pro Bowl form, it's possible, if not likely, Barkley will be playing his last year in New York next season.