Giants' Saquon Barkley Says 'Loyalty Means Nothing' About Future Contract Talks

Amidst his uncertain future as a member of the New York Giants, Saquon Barkley is aware that allegiance to one organization doesn't guarantee anything.

"Loyalty means nothing," the running back said, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "Loyalty, that don't mean nothing. No matter how loyal, no matter how committed you are, it's a business at the end of the day. That is something that I have learned."

Barkley failed to secure a long-term contract with the Giants this past offseason and is currently playing on a one-year deal worth roughly $10.1 million instead.

With the 26-year-old currently slated to hit free agency at the end of the 2023 season, his name popped up in rumors prior to the Oct. 31 trade deadline. He remained with the team instead, with head coach Brian Daboll reportedly telling him that a trade was "not happening," per Raanan.

While Barkley still has the support of the coaching staff and front office, it doesn't guarantee that he'll remain with the Giants through 2024.

His future is particularly unclear due to his position, as running backs have typically seen their contractual value decline in recent years. Since Barkley has been New York's featured back since he was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, he's received a large workload.

It's something for front offices to consider when projecting his potential value on a long-term contract, which he's aware of.

"When you're a premier back in this league -- not to talk about myself -- they feed you the ball because it helps you and gives you an opportunity to win games more times than not," he told reporters, according to Raanan. "And then when it comes to contract or a certain time and you're a running back, you having so much miles on you, it's a crazy concept."

Barkley has amassed 568 rushing yards in seven appearances this season, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt. He's remained effective in the passing game as well, recording 105 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in 2023.

While his future as a Giant is up in the air, Barkley isn't allowing any lingering thoughts about his impending free agency to affect his mindset on the field.

"I try my best not to think about that or I would go insane," he said, via Raanan. "I just try to keep focus on the love of the game, take care of my body and whenever the opportunity comes to talk contract again -- whether it's with the Giants or another team -- hopefully I'm able to pull the film or pull up numbers to be able to get a contract that is the best for me and my family."