Saquon Barkley agrees to a revised franchise tag and joins the Giants. The New York Giants announced Tuesday that running back Saquon Barkley has signed his franchise tag contract.
According to ESPN sources, the contract is a one-year, adjusted franchise tag worth $10,1 million entirely guaranteed and up to $11 million with incentives. According to sources, the price was adjusted to include a $2 million signing bonus and incentives.
The $909,000 in incentives consists of equal payments for three categories: 1,350 rushing yards and a playoff berth, 11 touchdowns, and 65 receptions, according to sources cited by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
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According to ESPN sources, the contract does not include a “no franchise tag” clause so that the Giants can tag him again after this season. Barkley and his colleagues were anticipating receiving this.
Barkley made a significant concession by reporting on the first day of training camp for veterans. A source told ESPN that the Pro Bowl running back arrived at the facility before 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
On the first day of training camp, Barkley’s presence with his teammates reinforces the notion that he is a team-first player. It will reduce the concerns and drama surrounding Giants training camp had he not reported.
During a recent podcast on “The Money Matters,” Barkley stated that he may not participate this season due to his impasse over a long-term contract with the team. Last month at his AMPT football clinic, he said that sitting out the season would be “part of the conversation” if a long-term agreement was not reached.
Barkley would have been required to play under the $10.091 million franchise tender this season if the Giants had not agreed by the deadline for franchised players to sign long-term contracts.
However, the laws permit players to negotiate a modified one-year contract. It is an uncommon option.
Barkley, 26, did not sign the franchise tag tender this spring or summer and was therefore not permitted in the team facility. This summer’s training camp was not anticipated unless a modified contract existed.
Barkley ranked fourth in the NFL with a career-high 1,312 rushing yards, scored ten touchdowns, and tied for the team lead with 57 receptions during the 2016 season. Since being selected second overall in the 2018 draft, when he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, he has appeared in 60 games over five seasons.
The Giants and Barkley worked for nine months to reach a contract agreement. It was a difficult journey to arrive at this temporary solution. Barkley wanted more representation of the negotiations. He believed the extensive reporting of details made him appear “greedy.”
According to ESPN sources, Barkley did not find the contracts offered to him sufficient in terms of guaranteed money and structure. It resulted in a deadlock.
The Giants and Barkley’s team made little progress from signing quarterback Daniel Jones in March (which allowed the franchise tag to be placed on Barkley) until just days before the mid-July deadline. Barkley added a new counsel, CAA’s Ed Perry, to speed up the process.
According to sources, the gap between the two parties was approximately $2 million in the final moments before the deadline.
