Giants star Saquon Barkley considering sitting out 2023 NFL season
New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley saw the July 15 deadline to ink a long-term deal come and go without a big payday.
Barkley now sits in an interesting position as he will enter the 2023 season under the franchise tag. However, the Pro Bowler has yet to sign the $10.09 million tender, putting another wrinkle into the situation.
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During a recent interview on the “The Money Matters” podcast, Barkley voiced that he could go through with a holdout.
“My leverage is I could say, ‘F— you’ to the Giants, I could say, ‘F— you to my teammates,” Barkley told the podcast, which published the July 11 interview on Monday via ESPN. “And be like, ‘You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down.’ And that’s a play I could use.
“Anybody [who] knows me, knows that’s not something I want to do. Is it something that’s crossed my mind? I never thought I would ever do that, but now I’m at a point where I’m like, ‘Jesus, I might have to take it to this level.’ Am I prepared to take it to this level? I don’t know.”
Barkley added that he will go over his options first with his family and agent before making any decision. However, it’s quite clear that a holdout could become a realistic scenario.
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Barkley is coming off a bounce-back campaign, where posted a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and tied for the team lead with 57 catches.
