Giants and Saquon Barkley Agree to One-Year Deal
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants reacts in the third quarter of the game against the Washington Football Team at MetLife Stadium on January 09, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
After threatening to sit out the 2023 season, running back Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants have a deal.
According to multiple reports Tuesday morning, the Giants and Barkley agreed to a incentive laden, one-year deal that will max out at $11 million. The devil is in the details on the deal.
Barkley will make his base salary of $10.1 million — the initial amount he would have made had he signed off on the initial franchise tag. Plus $2 million in signing bonus money upfront. Moreover he would receive a million dollars for an equal amount paid for 1,300 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and 65 receptions.
The biggest stipulation in the deal is the fact the Giants maintain their ability to franchise tag the running back next off-season. That is a huge amount of leverage that favors the Giants. Should the Giants make to tag Barkley in 2024, it would be a 120 percent increase of Barkley’s 2023 salary.
NOW WHAT?
Barkley will now report to camp, which opens Wednesday for the Giants, and will indeed play football this season. The Giants need Barkley as much as he needs the Giants.
WHY THIS MATTERS…
Barkley ran for 1,312 yards last season, and hauled in 75 percent of passes that were intended his way out of the backfield. Barkley’s stellar 2022 campaign played a major role in the resurgence of quarterback Daniel Jones, who had the best year of his career. Jones completed 67 percent of his passes last year for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
compare those numbers to the previous three years when Barkely spent time on the sideline with various injuries, and Jones’ struggles became more pronounced.
As for Barkley, he gets paid and gets to play — which can only help make his case for a long term deal. A messy hold out by Barkley would have hurt his value.
Ranking NFL Teams New Alt/Throwback Uniforms
To hype the start of NFL training camp and the upcoming 2023 season, many teams are unveiling a new gameday look. From classic throwbacks uniforms to more vibrant colorways, we’ve compiled a ranking for the best (and worst) of the new NFL alternative or throwback uniforms that you’ll see this season.
To clarify, this ranking is specific only to those teams sporting these threads on special occasions throughout the season. This does not include those uniform sets that have been updated (like the Carolina Panthers) or are a total makeover.
There is a lot to unpack here. Most recently, the Tennessee Titans finally showed us what we knew was coming. They will pay tribute their history with the Houston Oilers look. The same holds true for the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles who will both throw it back to their original colors. Then, there’s the Arizona Cardinals. They are the only franchise on this list that will have a completely new uniform design this season.
What Was The Methodology?
First of all, I considered tradition. In professional sports, so many teams’ original uniforms contain a character that truly embodies the city. Over the past 20 years, many organizations have moved away from that and opted for a louder and more modern look. Now, we are finding so many players and fans alike are attracted to the simpler design that screams history, instead of that extra neon stripe down the side.
Currently, the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have top selling jerseys in the NFL. They are the only two in the top ten sellers that will offer a new option for the 2023 season. Will their new alternate look be a future hot item? Time will tell. But for now, our official ranking lists the best new alternative and throwback uniforms for the upcoming NFL season.
Michael Cohen is the News and Sports Director at Fox Sports Radio New Jersey and Magic 98.3 FM, as well as a radio production assistant with Fox and Magic in New Jersey. He started his career in Somerset in 2018 initially as a news fill-in at WCTC 1450 AM, and soon moved up to higher responsibilities in the ensuing years, assuming News & Sports Director title in 2021Prior to his time with Fox Sports New Jersey, Michael was play-by-play voice for New Jersey Jackals baseball, and as well as play-by-play and color for the College of Staten Island basketball (men and women), softball and baseball. Michael began his career as a news and sportswriter with the Jersey Journal of Hudson County.
