Reporter addresses if Saquon Barkley, Giants could compromise on contract

ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano believes there could be a scenario where New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen signs running back Saquon Barkley to a new contract regardless of if Schoen uses the franchise tag to retain Barkley's rights for a second straight year. 

"The Giants could place the franchise tag on him again, this time for $12.1M," Graziano said about Barkley for a piece published Sunday night. "But he wasn't happy about being tagged in March and likely won't be happy if they do it again. It's unlikely the Giants' stance on a big, long-term deal for Barkley has changed, but perhaps the Jonathan Taylor deal offers the framework for a compromise."

Specifically, ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t Stephen Holder) reported that Taylor received a three-year, $42M extension that included $26.5M guaranteed from the Indianapolis Colts this past fall. To compare, it was said last spring that Barkley's camp rejected "a three-year deal in the $13M per season range" before he was tagged and after quarterback Daniel Jones agreed to a four-year contract. 

It's unclear what Barkley may or may not receive from Schoen this time around considering the second pick of the 2018 NFL Draft is a year older, has a worrisome injury history and missed three games this season with an ankle problem. 

Barkley publicly pleaded with Schoen after Week 18 to "get it over with" and not wait until the March 5 deadline for teams to use their franchise tags if the executive has no real intention to let the 26-year-old reach the open market. More recently, the team captain and fan favorite acknowledged during an interview he can see himself "in another uniform" next season. 

Barkley reported to training camp on time last summer despite his unhappiness related to his lack of a long-term contract and may have to ultimately sign another adjusted one-year deal if he's tagged before the March 5 deadline. 

He was widely criticized by many within the NFL community across the first half of 2023 for allowing representatives to make certain business decisions on his behalf, but there's no indication he's willing to offer the Giants any kind of meaningful discount ahead of February.