FILE - At left, in a Sept. 9, 2018, file photo, Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott runs against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. At right, also in a Sept. 9, 2018, file photo, New York Giants' Saquon Barkley (26) runs against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half of an NFL football game in East Rutherford, N.J. It will be the first pro meeting between the new NFC East rivals and the top running backs chosen in two of the past three drafts. Elliott, the fourth overall pick before leading the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2016 for the Cowboys, also opposed Barkley, this year’s No. 2 pick by the Giants, in college. They were Big Ten rivals at Ohio State (Elliott) and Penn State (Barkley).(AP Photo/File)Uncredited/Associated Press

Saquon Barkley on Future Contract After Ezekiel Elliott Deal: That's so Far Away

Scott PolacekSep 5, 2019

It would be natural for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley to see Ezekiel Elliott's major contract extension and think about his own future payday, but he insisted that is not the case.

"That's so far away," he said while noting he is happy for the Dallas Cowboys running back, per Tom Rock of Newsday.

The Cowboys announced they signed Elliott to a six-year, $90 million contract extension that features $50 million in guaranteed money. Barkley is not set for unrestricted free agency until 2023, with a club option for 2022 on his current contract.

TOP NEWS

Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

New York selected Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and he wasted no time looking like someone who will one day earn a significant contract extension.

He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with 1,307 rushing yards, 721 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns and is already widely considered one of the best playmakers in the NFL heading into the 2019 campaign.

Elliott's extension helps counter the narrative running backs aren't worth serious money in today's pass-happy NFL, especially for players who impact the game in as many ways as Barkley.

The former led the league in rushing yards in two of his first three seasons—and may have done so all three years were it not for a six-game suspension in 2017—and is just 24 years old. Barkley is 22 and figures to challenge the Ohio State product for the title of best running back in the NFL for the foreseeable future.

That will surely lead to a big payday, but the Giants' top offensive weapon isn't thinking about that just yet.