Giants icon addresses potential Saquon Barkley exit

New York Giants icon, NFL analyst and retired running back Tiki Barber believes Giants general manager Joe Schoen needs to worry about more than numbers as it pertains to the future of to-be free agent Saquon Barkley. 

"Saquon Barkley is not fully necessary, but my emotion to Saquon is something that I think a lot of Giants fans feel and it's, I love this kid," Barber explained during Tuesday's edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, as shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "I loved him when he came in." 

It is widely believed that Schoen will not use the franchise tag to retain Barkley's rights ahead of the March 5 deadline for such decisions, in part because doing so could cost the Giants roughly $12.1M for 2024. While that doesn't necessarily mean that Barkley will head elsewhere, Schoen and others within the Giants may feel the 27-year-old with a lengthy injury history is already in decline. 

When Barkley and the Giants were in the middle of a contract standoff last spring, some wondered if team co-owner John Mara could get involved considering the running back's popularity among fans who care little about salary-cap situations and merely want to see their favorite players stay with their beloved club for as long as possible. According to Chichester, Barber mentioned Barkley's status as a team captain and the "face of the franchise" as reasons why Big Blue may want to think twice about letting the six-year NFL veteran test the open market. 

"He is the perfect example of a star player that you would want on this team," Barber added about Barkley. "So emotionally, you want to hold on to that guy because he's an example of guys who are the favorite player on the team, finishing their careers as a Giant or whatever team it is…I feel like he should be that guy."

Barkley has repeatedly said he wants "to be a Giant for life," and there are clearly some in the locker room who feel he should've received a multi-year contract before quarterback Daniel Jones signed a four-year deal last March. It's up to Schoen, Mara and others within the Giants to determine if saving a certain amount of money is worth what the organization would lose if Barkley leaves what's been his only NFL home as a free agent next month.