NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 06: Saquon Barkley of The New York Giants attends the 4th Annual Children Of The City Charity Bowl at Lucky Strike Manhattan on June 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
I am surprised the national media has largely under-reported the details of running back’s rookie deal with the New York Giants.
The contract is four years for 31.2 million dollars – GUARANTEED!
I’ll repeat…guaranteed! Nobody seems to be making a big deal about that fact. Barkley’s contract is significant for several reasons.
First, he has the second fully guaranteed contract in the history of the league, following QB Kirk Cousin’s deal this off season with the Vikings.
Secondly, Barkley is now the first player ever to get a fully guaranteed, multi-year deal straight out of college. I can understand why a potential franchise quarterback can command such a deal.
However, I’m surprised the Giants offered such a deal to a running back given the position’s short shelf life. I know teammate and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is taking notice as he badly wants a new long term deal.
Colleague and Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is taking notes too. Maybe the financial landscape in the NFL is changing quicker than we thought.
This article was written by Craig Shemon
