Does Saquon Barkley regret signing one-year deal with Giants?

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley insists he doesn't regret signing his one-year contract ahead of the preseason even though his future beyond this Sunday's game against the New York Jets is up in the air. 

"[I] said, 'You know what? I'm going to keep quiet -- hopefully, you know, just show up, put a smile on my face, work hard, do the things the right way,'" Barkley told ESPN's Jordan Raanan about a contract standoff that generated headlines throughout the offseason. "'Thing's going to get taken care of.' And sadly, it didn't...At the end of the day, all you want is to be able to say you set yourself up, and get a long-term deal, and get money that you deserve -- to help for security of your family." 

The Giants agreed to a four-year contract with quarterback Daniel Jones in March that allowed them to use the non-exclusive franchise tag to retain Barkley's rights for 2023. Barkley later suggested he could possibly skip regular-season games if he didn't receive a long-term deal but somewhat surprisingly reported to training camp on time and inked a one-year contract worth $10.1M with incentives he won't reach after he missed three games due to an ankle injury.

That agreement allows general manager Joe Schoen to use the tag on Barkley again in March 2024. 

To compare, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs held out until he put pen to paper on a one-year, $12M contract in late August. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts missed the start of the regular season on the physically unable to perform list but ultimately received a three-year, $42M contract extension earlier this month. 

"Jonathan Taylor did a really good job," Barkley acknowledged. "You know, sticking to his word, doing what he wanted to do, and he got a deal done."

Barkley has left no doubt he wants to stay with the club that drafted him second overall in 2018 through and beyond this season, but it's widely thought the 2-5 Giants could become sellers ahead of this coming Tuesday's trade deadline if they fall to the 3-3 Jets on Sunday. Even if Barkley stays with Big Blue through Week 18, Schoen could decide against paying a veteran running back who turns 27 years old in February and instead go with younger and cheaper options at the position.