If Saquon Barkley has his way, he'll be staying with the New York Giants. At least, through the NFL trade deadline.
Barkley said on Thursday that he does not want to be traded. "Everyone knows how I feel," he said, via ESPN. "Everyone knows I don't want to be traded."
The Giants have since improved to 2-5 after beating the division-rival Washington Commanders in Week 7, with Barkley carrying 21 times for 77 yards and catching three passes for 41 yards and one of New York's two touchdowns. Saquon also fumbled at one point, though, and after the game he quipped that despite his having a conversation with Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen regarding his desire not to be traded, "If we would've lost that game, they would've shipped my ass out of here."
Barkley is not under contract beyond this season, which he is playing on the franchise tag after he and the team were unable to come to a long-term agreement this summer. He missed three games earlier in the year with a high-ankle sprain suffered on the final drive of the team Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals. In three appearances prior to Sunday, he'd logged 53 carries for 207 yards (3.9 per carry) and a touchdown while catching 13 of 16 passes thrown his way for 46 yards and an additional score.
New York plays only against the Jets between now and the Oct. 31 trade deadline, and even if the Giants win in Week 8, it is difficult to see them making serious noise in the playoff picture. Given the team's deficiencies and Barkley's contract status, it would make sense for the team to explore a trade -- even if Barkley would prefer that they not.
Of course, we saw this offseason that the market for running backs is not what it used to be, so there may not be offers out there that the Giants find agreeable. In that case, Barkley could hit the free-agent market this offseason or else be franchise-tagged again. He will turn 27 years old in February, so these next few years likely represent his last chance at signing a significant contract, given the average rate of decline for running backs. It's been several years since Barkley was at the peak of his powers, though he showed in 2022 that he has enough left in the tank to be a highly effective back in the right situation.
