Saquon Barkley Says Skipping the 2023 Season Will Be a Conversation Without an Extension (and Other NFL Bullets)

“At the end of the day, it’s all about respect. That is really what it is,” Giants running back Saquon Barkley said on Sunday afternoon. Barkley feels that the Giants haven’t shown him the respect he deserves and remains without an extension. At his youth football camp, Barkley said he won’t attend the Giants’ mandatory minicamp this week. Barkley said that sitting out the 2023 season was an option if he and the Giants don’t get a deal done. 

  • Barkley noted that the deadline (July 17) to reach an extension is still a month away. “There is still time on the table to get to July 17. July 17 is not tomorrow. It’s not in a week. That is how I look at it.” However, Barkley’s frustration shined through the interview with ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. When asked what his optimism level was regarding the potential of a deal getting done: “I don’t know. I don’t know,” Barkley said.
  • Barkley remains without an extension and has yet to sign the franchise tender the Giants placed on him in March. Despite that, Saquon Barkley says the two sides have been in talks throughout the offseason. Still, we have no deal, and it doesn’t seem close. Barkley has only a month to secure a long-term deal before the 2023 season deadline. If a deal doesn’t get done, Barkley said he has not thought much about sitting out the entire 2023 season. However, it is a possibility. When asked about the idea, Barkley said, “That comes up in the conversation if something doesn’t get done by July 17.”  
  • If Barkley plays on the franchise tag, he will make $10.1 million this season. But Barkley is looking for the Giants to pay him what he’s worth. Barkley is also tired of the misconception that he is being greedy. “I feel it was trying to paint a narrative of me, paint a picture of me that is not even true. Not even close to being the truth.”
  • In November, Barkley turned down a $12 million yearly offer during the Giants’ bye week. In February, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported that “the belief is if the two sides meet at $14 million per year, a deal could get done, a source close to the negotiations told ESPN recently.” According to multiple reports, the Giants even upped their offer to Barkley to $13 million per year after the season, putting them even closer to the sweet spot, according to Raanan’s sources. However, according to Giants GM Joe Schoen, that $12 million offer no longer exists. Schoen said in late March that anything they offered Saquon Barkley before the tag is no longer on the table.
  • But according to Saquon Barkley, it’s not the total value of the deal he has an issue with; “it’s the “devil within the details.” Barkley is referring to the guaranteed dollars or the lack thereof. Barkley isn’t trying to reset the running back market. Still, he wants a significant portion of his new deal guaranteed.
  • More on the running back market from this weekend:
  • In other news, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are brining back the creamsicle uniforms for this season! Tampa will wear the orange throwbacks with the white helmets against the Detroit Lions on October 15.
  • The Lions game is a perfect matchup to return the original creamsicle uniforms. Tampa Bay was previously in the old NFC Central division. So, from 1977 to 2001, the Lions and Buccaneers were division rivals. I only hope the Lions break out the throwback whites for this one. What an aesthetic experience that would be!
  • Speaking of the Bucs, they’re hosting former Indianapolis Colts kicker Rodrigo Blakenship for a tryout, per Ian Rapoport:
  • The Houston Texans are bringing J.J. Watt home!
  • The Texans announced that J.J. Watt will be inducted into their Ring of Honor on Monday. The ceremony will take place during the Texans’ game against the Steelers on October 1. Watt played 128 games over 10 seasons in Houston after joining the Texans as a first-round pick in 2011. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards over that span. Watt was a five-time All-Pro selection while logging 531 tackles, 101 sacks, 25 forced fumbles, 27 fumble recoveries, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
  • On Sunday night, the XFL announced that Hall of Fame cornerback Rod Woodson will not return as the head coach of the Vegas Vipers in 2024. The Vipers went 2-8 in 2023, finishing in last place in the XFL’s North division.
  • DeAndre Hopkins is in Nashville to meet with the Tennessee Titans:
  • Hopkins will visit the Patriots this week after visiting with the Titans. New England was a team that called the Cardinals regarding a trade for Hopkins this offseason. New Patriots offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien was Hopkins’ head coach in Houston. Hopkins was an All-Pro three times in O’Brien’s offense in Houston. The Patriots seem like a very nice fit for Hopkins, and they have the cap room to make it happen. New England has $13.6 million in cap space right now. So, they would likely have to make a move to clear more, but they’re close.
  • Oh my …
  • Stanford lefty Quinn Mathews threw a whopping 156 pitches in a 16-strikeout complete game to help keep his Stanford Cardinal alive in a quest to reach the College World Series.
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    Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

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