Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension by Monday’s deadline for franchised players, leaving the star running back with the option of playing for the tag-mandated $10.1 million salary or maybe taking the season off.
The Giants gave the franchise tag to the 26-year-old Barkley in March, giving the two sides four months to reach an agreement on a new deal by the July 17 deadline at 4 p.m. Talks went down to the wire and an agreement was not reached.
Barkley was not happy being tagged, especially after running for a career-best 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns and sharing the team lead with 57 receptions last season in what was his second Pro Bowl season. It was a big reason why New York reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016.