Packers Urged To Pursue Saquon Barkley In Free Agency

The Green Bay Packers tried to swing a trade for running back Jonathan Taylor last offseason, so the fact that they are being mentioned as a potential destination for Saquon Barkley is not surprising.

Matt Schneidman of The Athletic named Barkley as a potential big swing that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst could take in the coming weeks, noting that Green Bay could pair Barkley with Aaron Jones for a lethal one-two punch in the backfield.

The Packers tried rolling with a combination of Jones and A.J. Dillon this past season, but Dillon was a major disappointment and is slated to hit free agency. Green Bay will almost certainly not be re-signing him, which opens the door for the club to add someone like Barkley.

Barkley spent the first six years of his career with the New York Giants and is coming off of a tough 2023 campaign in which he rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns while averaging a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry. He added 41 catches for 280 yards and four scores.

The 27-year-old played out this past year on a franchise tag, and it seems like his time with the Giants is coming to an end.

Not only would Barkley comprise one of the league’s best backfields with Jones, but he would also serve as a replacement for Jones if the Packers decide to move on from him next spring.

Barkley, who played his collegiate football at Penn State, was selected by New York with the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He has made a couple of trips to the Pro Bowl, most recently doing so in 2022.

However, health has been an issue for Saquon Barkley, as he has not played a full season since his rookie year. He missed three games in 2023 due to an ankle injury.