Star running backs Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants and Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders were unable to secure long-term contracts with their respective teams before Monday's franchise tag extension deadline. This development raises the possibility of both players missing training camp and potentially regular season games.
Neither Barkley nor Jacobs signed their franchise tags, valued at $10.091 million for the season. While they can skip training camp without financial penalty, missing regular season games would result in forfeited game checks. Both players were franchise tagged earlier in the offseason to prevent them from entering free agency. Despite negotiations, the depressed running back market made reaching a mutually agreeable contract extension challenging.
While their teams can still negotiate one-year deals, multi-year contracts are now off the table. High-profile running back holdouts, like Alvin Kamara with the New Orleans Saints, Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon in 2019, and Le'Veon Bell's infamous 2018 holdout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, offer potential scenarios for how this situation could unfold. Bell's holdout ultimately resulted in him signing a less lucrative contract with the New York Jets.
Reports suggest that while the Giants increased Barkley's guaranteed money to $22 million during negotiations, they also decreased the average annual value of the contract. Barkley's tweet, "It is what it is," shortly before the deadline, highlighted the impasse. The Giants successfully negotiated long-term deals with quarterback Daniel Jones and lineman Dexter Lawrence this offseason. However, Barkley, instrumental in the Giants' playoff run and wild-card victory over the Minnesota Vikings last season with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, remains unsigned.
Jacobs, the NFL's leading rusher last season with 1,653 yards and 2,053 scrimmage yards, also faces uncertainty. The Raiders prioritized securing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with a three-year, $72.75 million contract. Jacobs' contributions to the Raiders' offense are undeniable, making his contract situation a key concern. While Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard also didn't reach a long-term agreement, he signed his franchise tag and will attend training camp. The future remains uncertain for Barkley and Jacobs, and their decisions will significantly impact their respective teams.
