After the drastic increase to the salary cap last month, the New York Giants did not rule out the possibility of using a franchise tag on star running back Saquon Barkley to keep him with the team for another season. But it does not sound like that will be the route the team takes, after all.
According to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN, the New York Giants have decided not to use their franchise take on Saquon Barkley, meaning that Barkley will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent later this month.
“Giants are not placing franchise tag on RB Saquon Barkley, per sources. Barkley is free to leave,” Schefter said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Giants are not placing franchise tag on RB Saquon Barkley, per sources. Barkley is free to leave.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2024
Barkley has said in the past that he wanted to retire as a member of the New York Giants. But he recently admitted that he could see a possibility of playing in a different uniform.
“Yeah, I mean it never crossed my mind until last year after I got tagged. Up until that moment, I really believe that I was gonna finish my career as a New York Giant. You know, that was a goal of mine. And that’s still in play. I have so much respect for the Mara family and the Tisch family and everyone in the Giants organization,” Barkley said back in January.
“They know that but once you get to this point, you go to your contract negotiation and you go through the tag process, you realize how much of a business it is. And I remember vets always telling me this and you know I believed them, but you don’t really know something until you go through it. So could I see myself in another uniform? Yeah, it’s possible.”
Barkley could still return to New York next season, but he’s now free to explore opportunities elsewhere, as well.
