Saquon Barkley Has No Contract Offer From Giants on Table After Franchise Tag

The New York Giants have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal with running back Saquon Barkley after placing the franchise tag on him this offseason, but there is no contract waiting for him to sign.

"There's no outstanding offer right now," general manager Joe Schoen said, per Dan Graziano of ESPN. "Once we put the franchise tag on him, we stepped back. We knew throughout the negotiation that there was going to be a time where, if we couldn't come to an agreement, we were going to go to the franchise tag, and that's what we did."

That doesn't mean there won't be an agreement down the line.

After all, Schoen explained he is in "constant contact" with the running back's representatives, while Giants owner John Mara was direct in his wishes.

"I told Saquon we want him to be a Giant for his entire career," Mara said. "He provides leadership, he's a great player and we'd like to be able to get something done with him at some point. The running back market is what it is right now, but I'm still hopeful at some point we will come to an agreement."

As Mara noted, the position has become devalued in today's NFL. Notable names such as the Las Vegas Raiders' Josh Jacobs and the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard also received the franchise tag this offseason, and Barkley may eventually hit the open market next year if he and New York can't come to terms on something.

The Giants were in something of a precarious position this offseason with both Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones slotted for free agency, but the NFC East team agreed to a four-year, $160 million deal with the latter.

That freed up the franchise tag, which it then used on Barkley.

Health concerns have been an issue at times for the Penn State product, but he is coming off a career-best season that saw him post 1,312 yards and 10 yards on the ground to go with 57 catches for 338 yards as a receiver.

The two-time Pro Bowler looked far more explosive than in 2021 when he returned from a torn ACL that limited him to just two games in 2020 and helped the Giants reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 campaign.

It remains to be seen whether he will be with the team in the long-term future or just for the upcoming season, but New York has plenty to build on in 2023.