Saquon Barkley addresses Giants future after contract dispute

Running back Saquon Barkley remains set on playing only for the New York Giants for his entire career even after a contract dispute that ended differently than he desired. 

"Oh, yeah. I don’t think that really changed," Barkley told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Sunday. "They know how I feel. I’m not really too focused on that right now." 

The Giants signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year contract in March that allowed the club to use the non-exclusive franchise tag to retain Barkley's rights for the upcoming season. Barkley stayed away from the team amid negotiations through the first few weeks of summer and even threatened to sit regular-season games out to protest being on the tag, but he ultimately signed what is essentially an adjusted one-year deal that could be worth up to $11M with incentives. 

"Once I made the decision I was going to show up and I was going to be there and do my job, you got to put all that aside," Barkley said about his process. "Got to be mature about it." 

Of course, Barkley wasn't the only running back to find this offseason that teams aren't keen on spending massive amounts of cash and salary-cap space on veteran players at the position these days. The 26-year-old failed to secure a "no tag" clause attached to his deal, meaning he could again find himself unable to reach free agency next March.

Nevertheless, Barkley is committed to helping the 2023 Giants attempt to return to the playoffs after the 2022 squad surprised many by completing a trip to the postseason and earning a road playoff victory. 

"No matter what, if I have this contract, if I had a long-term deal or if I have a one-year deal again, I put all that aside," Barkley told Schwartz. "I’m just focusing on trying to be great, trying to be a leader, be a captain for this team and do everything I can to help this team win." 

Barkley and the Giants open the campaign with a home game against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 10.