Dating back to last season, various and repeated reports have suggested that running back Saquon Barkley was seeking a long-term deal from the New York Giants that averaged $16 million per season.
As recently as April, that reporting persisted.
From Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:
Barkley wants a multi-year contract, but his reps twice turned down a $12-12.5 million per year offer in November and January while seeking Christian McCaffrey money ($16 million).
That sentiment has been shared by Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, Greg Johnson of the Times and Suburban, and several others.
But Barkley’s agent, Kim Miale, is now throwing cold water on those reports.
This is not true.
— Kimberly Miale (@kimmiale) May 13, 2023
Miale’s denial of the $16 million demand came shortly after Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media reported that Barkley and his camp rejected a deal that could have earned him up to $14 million annually.
The Giants, according to sources, offered Barkley a multi-year deal worth $12.5 million a season at the bye week, then increased that number to $13 million with a chance to get to $14 million in incentives shortly after the season.
Barkley rejected both deals. He and his agent Kim Miale obviously overestimated the running-back market. They could argue that Barkley doesn’t know his true value because he was blocked from testing the free-agent market after the Giants used the franchise tag on him.
Prior to the 2023 NFL draft, general manager Joe Schoen said that all offers to Barkley had been pulled from the table. However, once the draft concluded, he said the two sides would reconvene and that negotiations would be reopened.
It’s hard to know what’s true and what isn’t as these negotiations continue to play out through the media. But if Brookover’s report is accurate and Miale is being honest about not seeking $16 million, that would mean the gap between the Giants and Barkley has closed a bit. Perhaps they are, in fact, inching closer to a deal.
