Three high-profile New York Giants who may not be back in 2023

The Giants are $44,399,461 under the 2023 salary cap, but QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley are free agents. Reports have Jones looking for $35 million next year, and he’ll probably get it. Barkley is a tough call, but others not so much.

Kenny Golladay, WR

Golladay must be cut, and his locker should be destroyed. After posting 21 touchdown catches and 3,068 yards receiving for the Detroit Lions across four seasons, Golladay signed a four-year, $72 million contract with New York and put up putrid numbers.

Over two years, he had 602 yards receiving and one TD catch. Nothing should stop the Giants from saving $6,700,000 with his release. The team could save twice as much if it waits another year, but head coach Brian Daboll can't build a winning culture with an overpaid player such as Golladay on the roster.

Leonard Williams, DL

Williams carries a cap number of $32,260,000 for 2023. That’s starting quarterback money. He already said he "would probably consider" a pay cut, but that remains to be seen.

Injuries to his neck and knees held Williams to 2.5 sacks in 2022. He also missed five games with injuries. The veteran will be a free agent in 2024, but the team can take $18 million off the cap if it releases him after June 1. Williams’ recent performance doesn’t give him much leverage, and without a new deal, the Giants don’t have much choice.

Saquon Barkley, RB

After playing all 16 games as a rookie, Barkley missed 21 games in the next four years. Good health allowed him to rush for a career-high 1,312 yards in 2022, but can the Giants bank on a repeat performance in 2023?

If Barkley accepts a team-friendly contract that accounts for his injury history, New York will gladly bring him back. If not, the team faces a tough decision. A franchise tag would cost just over $10 million. Miles Sanders, a second-round pick, and Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round rookie, are about to play in Super Bowl LVII with combined salaries of well under $3 million.

Among the 25 highest-paid running backs in 2022, only Joe Mixon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire have been to a Super Bowl, and Edwards-Helaire was benched this season in favor of Pacheco. Even with room under the cap, the Giants can’t afford to give Barkley a big deal.