New York Giants star Saquon Barkley has heard the rumors about a possible trade.
He’s dealt with the talk first hand, telling reporters Oct. 19 that he hopes to follow through on his vow of being a “Giant for life.”
“Everyone knows how I feel,” Barkley said. “Everyone knows I don’t want to get traded.”
Now, Barkley knows exactly how the Giants feel about him. He told ESPN this week that after that meeting with reporters, head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen approached him at practice.
“Yeah, [a trade] is not happening,” Daboll said.
So that probably gave the two-time Pro Bowl running back some peace of mind, right?
Not exactly.
“I don’t think it made me feel any better or any worse,” Barkley said (via ESPN). “It wasn’t like I was too overly concerned about it, to be honest. And I never even thought about it until the question was brought up. I didn’t even realize when the trade deadline was.”
The NFL’s trade deadline is Oct. 31.
Of course, there’s a long list of football greats who’ve been given the “We are not trading you,” speech, only to end up turning in their playbook a short time later.
If Barkley wants to finish his career with the Giants, he may have to make salary concessions. He already rejected an extension offer believed to be in the neighborhood of $12 million per year. But the contract was loaded with bonuses that depended on Barkley staying healthy.
The Giants could franchise tag Barkley once again next season, or he could walk in free agency. Unfortunately, the running back has become one of the faces of the NFL’s new “disposable running back” era, in which teams are opting to go with younger, fresher legs in the backfield, with lower salaries.
Still, Barkley told ESPN he hopes something can get worked out.
“I want to create a legacy, and the way you do that is by continuing to stay with a team through your whole career,” Barkley said. “As I see the NFL and realize the business, you know, it’s less likely for that to happen for players. But if you’re able to accomplish that, it’s special.”
[ESPN]
