New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley signed his one-year, $10.091 million franchise tender on Tuesday.
The deal adds incentives, according to reports, and doesn’t include a “repeat franchise tag provision,” meaning the Giants can tag him again after this season if no progress is made on a long-term deal in the offseason.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Barkley would rejoin the team for practice Wednesday, ending the threat of a lengthy holdout.
“Obviously we are glad we were able to work things out with Saquon,” Schoen said. “We all recognize the player and person Saquon is and what he means to our team. He is a good teammate, a leader and a really good player. We are looking forward to getting on the field tomorrow.”
The Giants initially placed the franchise tag on Barkley, which was worth $10.091 million for running backs in 2023. The sides did not come to terms on a long-term deal by the July 17 deadline, leaving a one-year pact as the only option.
He is guaranteed to earn the tag amount plus $909,000 if all incentives are achieved to push his total maximum take for 2023 to $11 million, per NFL Network.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey referred to running backs’ salary range as “criminal.” McCaffrey averages $16 million per season on a four-year deal he signed with the Carolina Panthers before being traded to San Francisco.
Barkley, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after a dynamic career at Penn State. He posted a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games (all starts) last season while playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Barkley also tied for the team lead with 57 catches last season. He had 338 receiving yards.
In 60 games (all starts) across five seasons, Barkley has gained 4,249 yards on the ground (4.5 per attempt) with 29 rushing touchdowns. He also has caught 247 passes for 1,820 yards and eight touchdowns.
–Field Level Media
