Saquon Barkley on Giants Contract Dispute: 'My Leverage Is I Could Say 'F--k You'

New York Giants star Saquon Barkley pushed back on the notion he has limited leverage amid his ongoing contract standoff with the team.

"My leverage is I could say, 'F--k you' to the Giants, I could say, 'F--k you to my teammates,'" he said on the The Money Matters Podcast (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post).

"And be like, 'You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won't show up. I won't play a down.' And that's a play I could use."

Barkley added that that scenario is "not something I want to do" but one he has at least contemplated.

The podcast was released Monday before Barkley and the Giants failed to agree to a long-term contract after they applied the franchise tag to him.

Dunleavy reported New York offered a three-year, $33 million deal that included guarantees between $22 million and $23 million.

"The number they offered, they thought I might jump at because of my injury history," Barkley said on the podcast. "I was like I'd rather bet on myself."

He's correct in that he can effectively stay at home as this process plays out. Because he's technically not under contract, he can skip training camp without incurring any fines. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday the Giants "are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then."

Le'Veon Bell famously went all the way during his dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and sat out the entire season. In doing so, Bell became a bit of a cautionary tale.

The two-time All-Pro got a four-year, $52.5 million deal from the New York Jets during the 2019 offseason, which was less money than the Steelers reportedly included in their final offer.

Whether it was because he took a year off or down to general wear and tear, Bell's career was never the same after he left Pittsburgh, either. He made 34 total appearances during spells with the Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The running back market is even more brutal now than it was four years ago as well.

Barkley's frustration is understandable because stars at his position are incentivized to get as much guaranteed money as quickly as possible.

Following through on his words and emulating Bell would be a risky long-term play, though, given the market forces at play.