New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley has been a hot topic this offseason given the uncertainty over his contract. Thankfully, his contract was resolved last week and Barkley reported to training camp, giving the Giants one of their best players back.
Barkley had a major comeback campaign in 2022, returning to Pro-Bowl form and helping the Giants earn their first playoff berth since 2016.
Barkley was recognized for his efforts recently, earning the No. 31 spot of the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023 list, which is voted on by fellow NFL players. This is the third time in Barkley’s career he’s made the list.
The reports of Barkley’s demise were greatly exaggerated. After a 2020 season lost almost entirely to injury and a 2021 campaign spent getting right, Saquon made an emphatic return to form in 2022. He showed his signature burst again with three games of 146-plus yards on the ground on his way to 1,312 rushing yards total. Barkley also helped engineer New York’s 31-24 wild-card upset over Minnesota with two crucial touchdowns.
Barkley’s career has been a roller coaster ride thus far after he was riddled with injuries in the few years prior to 2022. Due to those injuries, Barkley was not listed on the NFL’s Top 100 a year ago.
Barkley came in four spots ahead of San Francisco 49ers running back, Christian McCaffrey, this year. While many may disagree with that, Saquon is more valuable to his team.
Barkley’s spot on the list is well-deserved, and while he is the first Giant to be announced on the list, the top 30 has yet to be released. Andrew Thomas and Dexter Lawrence are both coming off career years and it seems unlikely that they would not make the cut.
