Show me the money!
That is the common refrain in sports free-agency, made famous by Rod Tidwell, a fictional character played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire.” Tidwell was a veteran NFL wide receiver seeking a lucrative contract. So was Saquon Barkley from the Giants last summer. But they relented and instead placed the franchise tag on the Bronx-born running back before both sides agreed on a one-year deal for $12 million.
The Giants wanted to sign Barkley to another contract this off-season but weren’t willing to meet the 27-year-old’s asking price. However, their NFC East division rival Philadelphia Eagles saw Barkley’s value to them as much higher. And on Monday, Barkley and the Eagles both said yes to bring the Penn State product back to Pennsylvania on a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75 million. What’s certain is Barkley will be guaranteed $26 million at signing. His $15.833 million maximum average-per-year salary is the second highest for a running back in NFL history.
With so many needs at other positions, the Giants paying Barkley that much money or close to what the Eagles were willing to sign him for didn’t align with their long- or short-term plans. Conversely, the Eagles, which lost 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl 13 months ago but were trounced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-9 in their wildcard round game this past January, envision Barkley as a key component to raising them back to the top of the conference.
Barkley played six seasons for the Giants and was historically great in his rookie season, setting multiple NFL and franchise records. When healthy, he is still one of the most dynamic runners and pass catchers out of the backfield. But numerous injuries have hampered the 6’0”, 230 pound nephew of former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Iran Barkley. Last season Barkley played in 14 of 17 games, rushing for 962 yards on 247 carries and snagging 41 receptions for 280 yards.
But Barkley’s numbers undoubtedly would have been better if he was not the Giants’ lone All-Pro caliber offensive weapon. Barkley was the focal point of opposing defenses as the Giants’ quarterback situation was unstable because of injuries to starter Daniel Jones and primary backup Tyrod Taylor. Most detrimental, they fielded one of the worst offensive lines in football and also lacked a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver.
The Eagle offense is the antithesis of the Giants as they have multiple All-Pros and Pro-Bowl players including quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver AJ Brown.
Taylor signed a two-year deal with the Jets to become Aaron Rodgers’ backup while the Giants bolstered their pass rush by trading a 2024 second round pick (No. 39) and a 2025 fifth round pick to the Carolina Panthers for 25-year-old defensive end Brian Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl selection. The Giants and Burns completed a five-year, $150 million contract with $87.5 guaranteed as a condition of the trade.