Saquon Barkley Rumors: 'Some Level of Optimism' Giants, RB Will Agree to Contract

The New York Giants and Saquon Barkley are running out of time to reach a long-term contract, but all hope is not lost.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported there is "optimism" a contract could be reached before the July 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players.

"I just checked in on this and I was told there's no hard-and-fast update right now, but there is at least some level of optimism that these sides can come to an agreement at some point," Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter. "They've been talking throughout the offseason. Giants ownership values Barkley; he's considered a centerpiece-type player for them. But Barkley wants a stronger contract structure, most likely stronger guarantees in how that contract is structured. So, Giants have to find a sweet spot there.

"This could go right up until that July 17 deadline. Keep in mind, when the Giants were deciding whether to franchise tag Daniel Jones or Saquon Barkley earlier this offseason, they took it up to like the final five minutes before getting a deal done with Jones at the deadline. Could be a similar situation."

Barkley, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram are the three remaining franchise-tagged players yet to sign a long-term contract.

The Giants reportedly offered Barkley a lucrative contract extension worth up to $14 million per season with incentives, per Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media. However, Barkley has pushed back on the media portrayals of that contract, with guaranteed money seemingly being the sticking point in negotiations.

"I've come out and said I wanna be a Giant for life. I said that I'm not trying to reset the running back market. So, for those reports that come out and try to make me look greedy, that's not even close to being the truth," Barkley told reporters last month.

The Penn State product said he's "frustrated" with negotiations leaking to the public, saying it's supposed to be "family business."

Barkley rushed for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022, his first fully healthy season since his rookie year in 2018. He missed 21 games over the previous three seasons, a time period that saw his effectiveness and explosiveness seemingly wane.

While Barkley's performance came back in a big way last season, he's still an injury-prone player at a position where teams have become hesitant to spend long-term money. No running back received a long-term contract this offseason worth more than $6.3 million annually.

Though the situation is ultimately unfair to running backs, who are often at their most effective when playing on a rookie contract, the consistent breakdown of late-20s backs and general churn at the position makes the trepidation understandable.