Giants' Saquon Barkley Reacts to Not Signing Long-Term Contract: 'It Is What It Is'

Superstar running back Saquon Barkley took to Twitter after he and the New York Giants did not agree to a long-term contract by Monday's deadline.

Barkley fired off a simple, five-word tweet in response to the news:

At almost the same exact time, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Barkley and the Giants would not come to terms on a new contract.

Monday was the deadline for players who received the franchise tag to sign a new contract with their team. Since Barkley did not get a new deal, his only option to play this season is under the franchise tag, which would pay him $10.091 million.

Since Barkley has yet to sign his franchise tender, he is not required to report to training camp, although he stands to lose out on a significant amount of money if he does not sign the tender by the start of the regular season.

Barkley is coming off a resurgent 2022 campaign that saw him earn his second career Pro Bowl selection by virtue of rushing for a career-high 1,312 yards, plus 10 touchdowns, along with catching 57 passes for 338 yards.

It marked the 26-year-old star's best season since his rookie year in 2018 when he led the NFL with 2,028 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 touchdowns, which earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Barkley was plagued by injuries over the next three seasons, missing three games in 2019, 14 in 2020 and four in 2021.

He reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark just once during that three-year stretch and cumulatively averaged only 4.1 yards per carry, but he averaged a solid 4.4 yards per tote last season.

Barkley benefited last season from the arrival of head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, and he was the driving force on offense for a Giants team that went 9-7-1 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

If he signs his tender, Barkley is in line to be the focal point of the offense again in 2023, but if Barkley's holdout extends into the regular season, the pressure will be on quarterback Daniel Jones to lead the way after signing a four-year, $160 million extension in March.