Saquon Barkley Rumors: Giants, RB Could Agree to New Contract at $14M Per Year

The New York Giants reportedly may be able to lock running back Saquon Barkley into a new contract with an offer of $14 million per year.

According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Barkley turned down an offer of more than $12 million per season during the Giants' bye week. That would have left him behind the San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey, who is the NFL's highest-paid running back at roughly $16 million per year.

Raanan added that Barkley is "not intent on resetting" the running back market, meaning the two sides could potentially meet in the middle at $14 million.

Barkley is set to hit free agency this offseason, but it is difficult to envision the Giants letting him test the free-agent waters. New York can place the franchise tag on him if it is unable to sign him to a long-term deal.

As the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of Penn State, Barkley burst onto the scene as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors thanks to a league-leading 2,028 yards from scrimmage to go along with 15 touchdowns.

Barkley seemed destined for superstardom, but he was plagued by injuries over the next three seasons and didn't come close to replicating what he accomplished as a rookie.

He did barely eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his second season, but he missed three games. Barkley then missed all but two games in 2020 and missed four games in 2021 as well.

Even when Barkley played during the 2021 season, he was far from effective. He ran for only 593 yards and two touchdowns on 162 carries. He also caught 41 passes for 263 yards and two scores.

After such a poor performance, Barkley seemed unlikely to land a second contract with the G-Men, but things changed significantly in 2022. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka arrived as the Giants' new head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, and they completely changed the outlook of the Giants offense.

With a clean bill of health, Barkley returned to an elite level of play, rushing for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns and adding 57 catches for 338 yards. While he still wasn't quite the same player that he was as a rookie, Barkley was named a Pro Bowler for the second time and finished third in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting.

Barkley also spearheaded the offense and helped the Giants return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 with a 9-7-1 record. The Giants pulled off an upset win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card Round, and Barkley played a huge role, racking up 109 total yards and two touchdowns.

The improvement of quarterback Daniel Jones was also key in the Giants' turnaround in 2022. While the Giants are likely to re-sign him this offseason, Barkley's presence is arguably even more paramount.

New York's offense thrived last season when it ran through Barkley. General manager Joe Schoen is likely aware of that fact and should do what it takes to retain one of the NFL's most dominant running backs.