Former All-Pro: Giants not paying Saquon Barkley could impact locker room

Former All-Pro running back and current NFL Media member Maurice Jones-Drew suggested the New York Giants welcomed potential locker room issues by paying quarterback Daniel Jones instead of star ball-carrier Saquon Barkley this offseason. 

"Each locker room is different, but so many times these teams pay quarterbacks or guys that aren’t the top player and it creates friction in the locker room because we know that guy isn’t that good," Jones-Drew explained during a conversation with Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

The Giants signed Jones in March to a four-year contract that could be worth up to $160M after he helped the club qualify for the playoffs and notch a road postseason win. 

While Jones recorded 15 passing touchdowns and seven scores on the ground across 16 regular-season games, ESPN stats show that Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs led the league with 41 passing touchdowns. 

Barkley, meanwhile, finished fourth among all players with 1,312 rushing yards and contributed 10 rushing touchdowns but nevertheless failed to secure a long-term contract before his rights were retained via the non-exclusive franchise tag worth $10.091M. He ultimately reported on time for training camp and accepted a one-year deal worth $10.1M with incentives that can boost the agreement's worth up to $11M.

"I was in the locker room when that’s happened," Jones-Drew continued. "We had guys that were supposed to get paid and instead we paid guys outside the locker room, or a guy comes in and doesn’t pan out. And all of a sudden, I’m upset because this dude is making X amount and I have to carry the ball 30 times a game for us to have a chance to win. What about the guy you just paid? That is where things get tricky."

For what it's worth, there are zero signs any Giants player resents Jones for earning a second NFL contract following his performances last season. Barkley, wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and rookie Jalin Hyatt are among teammates who recently backed the signal-caller to produce yet another impressive campaign. 

If, however, things go south for the 2023 Giants by Halloween, some inside the locker room may wonder if the franchise gave the wrong contract to the wrong face of the offense in March.