Saquon Barkley, speaking with reporters at a youth football camp he helped put together in Jersey City, stressed that he and the Giants still have a lot of time to come to a new contract agreement, but if they don’t by July 17, he hasn’t ruled out any course of action, including holding out.
“Just one day at a time. One day at a time,” Barkley said. “Now, that day comes up and I have to sit down and have that conversation, then I will sit down and have that conversation. We’ll see what’s the best plan for me to do.”
Barkley made two things clear during his interview with reporters on Sunday: he wants to remain with the Giants for the rest of his career, and he doesn’t like some reports that have leaked about negotiations with the team, especially the suggestion that he was looking to “reset” the running back market.
“There’s a lot of stuff that I can go into…The thing that I’m frustrated most about is, like how I said, family business is family business, and then sources come out and stories get leaked,” Barkley said. “It didn’t come from me.
“It’s misleading, for sure. I’ve come out and said I want to be a Giant for life and I’m not trying to reset the running back market. For those reports to come out and try to make me look greedy, that’s not even close to being true.”
Still, despite his frustrations on that front, Barkley still hopes to have an agreement with the only franchise he has ever known within the next five weeks, so he can play out his career in New York.
“I've been open about it, I said I want to be a Giant for life,” Barkley said. “This is where I want to be. At the end of the day, it's all about respect.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)
