sport news Giants 'won't use franchise tag on Saquon Barkley' with the running back ... trends now
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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley appears to be heading for free agency for the first time in his career, avoiding the franchise tag ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. (ET) deadline to apply the restrictive roster marker.
General manager Joe Schoen said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine the Giants weren't taking the tag off the table, but the team opted against tagging Barkley for a second straight year because of a cost of $12.1 million, according to multiple reports.
'We don't want to do it. In a perfect world, we don't want to do that again,' Schoen said.
The free agent market might not produce a massive payday based on the apparent devaluation of the running back position. The unrestricted free agent market at running back includes Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders) and Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys), who were also tagged in 2023, plus Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans) and Austin Ekeler (Los Angeles Chargers).
Being tagged in 2023 irked Barkley, 27, who since made it clear he felt the Giants were disloyal by not making a long-term commitment.
