Saquon Barkley staying put in spite of the Giants’ unclear future
Despite the challenges he has faced in his six years in the NFL, Barkley has been unwavering in his declaration that he wants to be with the Giants and be faithful to his first and only team.
The team Barkley was drafted by is nowhere to be seen now, as he is working with his third head coach in Brian Daboll (following Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge) and his fourth offensive coordinator in Mike Kafka (after Mike Shula, Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens).
Additionally, the general manager who drafted him as the No. 2 overall pick, Dave Gettleman, is no longer with the Giants, which left Barkley to face a front office this offseason that had no particular loyalty to him when negotiating his new contract.
After not receiving a long-term deal and making the decision not to hold out after being hit with the franchise tag, Barkley signed a one-year deal for $10.1 million with $900,000 in incentives he won’t reach after missing three games with an ankle injury and the Giants falling out of playoff contention.
Yet, there he was Monday, just a few days before Thanksgiving, handing out more than 300 turkeys and perishables to those in need in the neighborhood where his mother grew up.
“That makes it even more special. It is great to be here seeing everyone volunteer and put a smile on people’s faces,” he said. “A lot of smiles. A lot of jokes. Definitely testing my Spanish a bit, too. Definitely gotta get sharper on that.”