Saquon Barkley was 'dumb' to turn down Giants' $13M per year extension, NFL agent says

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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley reportedly turned down the team’s extension offer of $13 million per season during their postseason run last year. 

One NFL agent thinks it was a "dumb" decision. 

Speaking anonymously to the New York Post, the agent said that the framework of the deal, as long as it was a fair bargain (around 60% guaranteed money), would have been fine to sign.

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New York Giants' Saquon Barkley looks to get past Minnesota Vikings' Camryn Bynum during the second half of an NFL wild-card game Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The agent added that now Barkley may garner a deal worth between $8 million and $9 million per season, and that one in the $10 million range would be "pretty rich."

However, Barkley’s camp reportedly didn’t like the guaranteed money and structure of the deal, which led to him turning down the offer.

Now, the Giants’ dynamic running back is slated to play on his franchise tag that would pay out $10.1 million for the 2023 campaign. But will Barkley hold out as he wants his deal figured out before getting back on the field? 

GIANTS' DEXTER LAWRENCE SAYS SAQUON BARKLEY WILL ‘GET WHAT HE DESERVES’ AS CONTRACT TALKS LOOM

His teammates, quarterback Daniel Jones and most recently defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, just got paid a handsome sum to remain key pieces of the Giants’ puzzle.

Lawrence told media members that he believes Barkley is going to get what he’s worth – and what dollar amount that comes to is still up for debate. 

Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on December 18, 2022, in Landover, Maryland. (Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)

If Barkley had signed the deal that gave him $13 million per season for however long it was, he would have been third in average annual value among running backs in the NFL. Only Christian McCaffrey ($16.02 million) and Alvin Kamara ($15 million) would have been higher.

It would also be over the likes of Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, Joe Mixon and Aaron Jones, to name a few. Henry and Chubb make $12.5 million and $12.2 million, respectively, while Jones and Mixon are at $12 million per season.

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It’s also worth noting that Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs are also slated to play on the franchise tag like Barkley, though a new deal could be coming for them soon, too.

The running back market isn’t matriculating like other positions in the league because of the higher chance of injury – Barkley has an injury history himself over his first five seasons – and the fact that players like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco came out of the seventh round in last year’s draft and played a major role in the Super Bowl, let alone the entire regular season and postseason.

Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants warms up before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on September 26, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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The Giants have clearly shown they want to extend Barkley, but GM Joe Schoen wants it done at the right price. Whether both sides can find common ground this offseason remains to be seen.