Saquon: I could see myself playing for another team

Saquon Barkley once imagined he'd only ever wear a New York Giants jersey during his career, but he says that changed once he got franchise tagged last offseason.

"Up until that moment, I really believe(d) that I was gonna finish my career as a New York Giant," Barkley told Complex's Zion Olojede. "You know, that was a goal of mine. And that's still in play. I have so much respect for the Mara family and the Tisch family and everyone in the Giants organization."

He added: "They know that, but once you get to this point, you go to your contract negotiation and you go through the tag process, you realize how much of a business it is. ... So, could I see myself in another uniform? Yeah, it's possible."

The Giants running back said he'd love to follow in the footsteps of Eli Manning, Tiki Barber, and Michael Strahan but added that he's not "naive" to what the future might hold.

"I'm at ease (with) whatever happens," he said. "I would love for it to be done, but if it can't and I'm able to move on, I would love to go to a team where I can help them win the Super Bowl, for sure."

Barkley is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason. The Giants and the star running back were unable to strike a long-term agreement last year, leading to Barkley playing the 2023 season on a modified one-year contract.

The two-time Pro Bowler rushed for 962 yards through 14 games. His yards per carry dipped from 4.4 in 2022 to 3.9 in 2023, though he was part of a pedestrian Giants offense that ranked 30th in points scored and 29th in yardage.

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