“I want them to call the Brink’s truck and come drop off the cash at the front door,” DeVito told Complex in a story published Jan. 24.
“Now I hope is for the Giants cause I want him to be in the back feld with me and all my team because I think he is the best teammate in the NFL, the best teammate I’ve had around.
Obviously, I’ve played one year in the league but I’ve played a lot of football. He’s the best teammate that I’ve ever been around in my life. …
“Now, I hope it’s with the Giants. But if not, somebody call the bank because the bank is coming because this man needs to get paid. … Now you can come run it back and we can get right. But at the same time, I want you to get your paper, you know what I mean?”
In 14 games, Barkley had 1,242 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. The 26-year-old averaged 3.9 yards per rushing attempt (962 yards).
Barkley ended up signing a revised contract with the Giants in July that included a $10.091 million base with $909,000 in incentives after being franchise-tagged. In 2023, Barkley’s cap hit tied for fourth in the NFL among running backs with the Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Pollard. That was behind the Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry ($16.3 million), the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb ($14.9 million) and the Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh Jacobs ($11.4 million).
General manager Joe Schoen can tag Barkley again at about $12 million (or 120% increase on the 2023 contract).
In a market that has devalued running backs, Barkley may be hard-pressed to land the contract he wants.
Will the Giants ultimately give him one?After six seasons with the New York Giants, running back Saquon Barkley may be wearing new colors within months.
For the second consecutive offseason, Barkley’s future with the Giants will be a major focus, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2018 draft potentially entering free agency for the first time in March. But before then, New York could use the franchise tag again or sign Barkley to an extension, a decision quarterback Tommy DeVito wants — as long as it comes with a lot of dollar signs.
