Saquon Barkley admits Giants could be sellers at trade deadline but focus remains on winning games
The 2023 Giants are on the brink of a lost season.
Sitting at just 1-4 and heading to Buffalo to take on a vaunted Bills team, Big Blue may have to rethink how they approach this season and beyond. And that includes potentially trading away pieces at the deadline to set themselves up for the future.
One name that has been floating around in trade rumors is running back Saquon Barkley.
The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Giants, the team who drafted him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. With his future with the team past 2023 unclear, Barkley and others being traded mid-season may become a possibility, but the running back believes it's premature to think that way.
“I get it,” Barkley told The Daily News. “I fully understand that. This season’s not going the way anyone planned, so you’re gonna hear the rumbles of stuff like that. You can’t get caught up in it. We were a very successful team last year, and a lot of those same guys are still here.
“That may come into question if this thing doesn’t get turned around, but right now we’re focused on Buffalo. We’re focused on trying to get a spark, get our mojo back and get this thing turned around.”
The Giants finished the 2022-23 season with a 9-7-1 record, winning a playoff game in the process. But this season has been anything but.
Entering Week 6, New York’s offense is ranked in the bottom of yards per game (255.2), and 31st in points per game (12.4). Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed quarterback Daniel Jones will not play Sunday night against the Bills, and Barkley -- who has been dealing with a high ankle sprain -- is questionable.
Barkley has missed the Giants’ last three games and while he says he’s “trending upwards,” he knows his team needs a lift and hopes he can be that spark when healthy.
“It’s hard to have a presence when you’re on a sideline in a hat and a hoodie in street clothes,” Barkley said. “So I think it’s important for me to get back out there, especially where we are in the season. And I feel like I can make an impact and hopefully I’m able to show that.”
This season’s NFL Trade Deadline will be Oct. 31 so if the Giants hope to stave off becoming sellers, they’ll need to go on a serious run. After Buffalo, they host the Commanders before facing off against the Jets.
