Reporter refutes latest contract update on Giants' Saquon Barkley

The situation involving the New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley continues to provide more questions than answers heading into Monday's deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players.

Less than 24 hours after Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reported that the Giants offered Barkley $19.5M guaranteed during negotiations, Giants beat writer Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com wrote for a piece published Friday morning that "a source told me Thursday night that the $19.5M figure is not true." 

Brookover added that "the New York Post story Thursday saying the Giants only have offered $19.5M in guaranteed money was likely a reaction" to a piece produced by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio on Wednesday. At that time, Florio revealed that "a league source with knowledge of the situation" said the Giants offered Barkley a contract worth $13M per year and $26M over that agreement's first two seasons. Florio also said Barkley's camp was seeking $16M per year before the Giants pulled their offer once they signed quarterback Daniel Jones and then used the franchise tag to retain Barkley's rights. 

To compare, Barkley is set to earn $10.091M on the tag for 2023 and roughly $22.22M in total guarantees if he plays on tags across the next two seasons. While the 26-year-old cannot put pen to paper on any long-term deal after Monday's deadline, he could threaten to stay away from the Giants through all of August and the start of regular-season play as a negotiating tactic regarding his 2023 pay. Part of those talks could involve Barkley's representatives getting the Giants to agree to not use the tag on the 2018 first-round draft pick next March. 

"We do know this is true," Brookover explained. "The Giants and Barkley cannot agree on what the running back should be paid and time is running out to do anything about it." 

The two sides clearly aren't on the best of terms this summer. Time will tell if the relationship between them is damaged beyond repair.