The New York Giants and Running Back Saquon Barkley are in talks over a new contract. According to Fox Sports, Barkley is hoping to secure a deal that would make him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. Christian McCaffrey currently holds the highest annual salary at the position with a four-year, $64 million contract. The Giants have reportedly offered Barkley a contract worth $12 million annually, but the two sides are not currently in agreement.
Barkley, who is coming off a strong 2022 season where he rushed for 1,312 yards with 10 touchdowns, and caught 57 passes for 338 yards, has said that he is realistic about the contract situation and is not overly concerned with resetting the market for running backs. Despite the money being an issue, the Giants’ General Manager Joe Schoen has said that the team would like to retain Barkley and that he is a “good player” and “great teammate.”
The challenge for the Giants will be to keep both Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones under team control, as both players are set to become free agents this off-season. We’ll have to wait and see how the negotiations pan out, but it’s clear that the Giants value Barkley as a key piece to their team.
Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back for the Dallas Cowboys, has expressed his desire to stay with the team. After Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Elliott said that he has thought about it and wants to stay with the team, but he can’t predict the future.
Elliott had a tough season in 2022, with career-low numbers in yards and carries. He had 231 attempts for 876 yards with 3.8 yards per carry and a career-worst 17 catches for 92 yards. Despite this, he did score 12 touchdowns, a decent accomplishment.
Elliott’s current contract, which has a base salary of $10.9 million for 2023, with a cap hit of $16.72 million, is a significant financial burden for the team. In addition, it was a major factor in the trade of Amari Cooper and the team’s inability to add more weapons.
This offseason presents the first opportunity for the Cowboys to get out of Elliott’s contract without significant financial repercussions. Cutting him before June 1 would result in an $11.86 million dead-money hit but would save $4.86 million. After June 1, the team would be left with $5.82 million on the 2023 salary cap with $10.9 million in short-term savings.
It remains to be seen if Elliott would consider a pay cut to stay in Dallas and if that makes sense for the team. The Cowboys also have Tony Pollard, who has proven to be a better all-around back. Still, his injury in the season’s final game adds another layer of uncertainty to the situation, as he is also headed to free agency.
Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, is still considering his options for the 2023 NFL season. In an interview with The Pat McAfee Show, he stated that any talk about potential trades or other moves is speculative until he decides his future. He also mentioned that if he does decide to return, he will likely have to restructure his current contract.
Rodgers also shared his thoughts on the sports media ecosystem, stating that he feels he has been portrayed as a villain due to his stance on COVID-19 and other non-football-related topics.
The Green Bay Packers ended their 2022 season with a loss to the Detroit Lions and a record of 8-9, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Rodgers left the door open for a potential return to the Packers but has acknowledged that the circumstances are different from when his future with the team was uncertain in 2021 and 2022.
Even though Rodgers is under contract with the team through 2026, it may be in the best interest of both parties for him to pursue other opportunities. It remains to be seen what Rodgers will decide, but we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
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By Eddie Sebastian, aka That Fantasy Football Draft Board Guy
