Saquon Barkley Rumors: Giants RB 'Real Threat' to Hold Out Without New Contract

Running back Saquon Barkley reportedly may sit out training camp if he and the New York Giants are unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline.

Appearing Saturday on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said Barkley is a "real threat" to miss training camp, and that the Giants must weigh that possibility in contract talks.

Barkley has yet to sign his franchise tender with the Giants, as he is instead holding out for a more substantial contract.

While Barkley would earn a salary just north of $10 million this season under the franchise tag, he is looking to cash in on what may be his only opportunity for a significant, long-term contract.

NFL teams typically don't like to pay running backs once they get into their late 20s, and Barkley is 26, so now is the ideal time for him to secure his future.

As the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of Penn State, Barkley burst onto the scene and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award by virtue of his 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, and 91 receptions for 721 yards and four scores through the air.

Barkley was expected to take the league by storm after that, but injuries marred his next three campaigns, as he missed a total of 21 games, including 14 contests in 2020.

He did barely reached the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in 2019 with 1,003 yards, but he was limited to two games the following season and was largely ineffective in 2021 with just 593 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, plus a yards-per-carry average of 3.7 in 13 games.

Because of that, 2022 was essentially a make-or-break season for Barkley, and he was up to the task in his first year under head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

Barkley was once again the focal point of the offense and he thrived to the tune of a career-high 1,312 rushing yards to go along with 10 touchdowns and a 4.4 yards-per-carry average in 16 contests.

He was also one of New York's most productive pass-catchers with 57 grabs for 338 yards.

Barkley was excellent in the playoffs as well, totaling 109 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the Giants' upset win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card Round before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round.

Not surprisingly, Barkley was not present at Giants minicamp, as he continues to push for a new deal.

Per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, Barkley said last week at his youth camp that he is "not trying to reset the running back market," and simply wants a fair deal.

There would be some risk on the Giants' part if they go beyond three or four years on a new deal, but Barkley is unquestionably the biggest key to their offensive success, and they can ill afford to be without him.