Giants' Xavier McKinney supports Saquon Barkley in contract dispute
Saquon Barkley might say “f–k you” to his teammates, but they won’t say it back to him.
Giants defensive back Xavier McKinney expressed support for the running back, who is holding out of training camp after failing to agree on a contract extension, in an interview with Jim Rome on Saturday.
“For me, I’ve talked to him, and regardless of any decision that he makes, whether he’s there or whether he’s not here, I respect it 100 percent,” McKinney told the CBS host. “I’m behind him 100 percent. I wouldn’t have no hard feelings, no nothing towards him whatever decision that he decides. Obviously we want him to be there but if he can’t, we understand that as well. I think that’s not just for me but that goes for a lot of guys in our locker room.
“I just don’t want that to be the narrative — if he decides not to come, then nobody’s gonna be mad.”
Barkley publicly pondered sitting out the season in a leverage play on the “Money Matters” podcast released on Monday.
“I could say ‘F–k you’ to the Giants, I could say ‘F–k you’ to me teammates,” Barkley said. “And be like, ‘You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down.’ And that’s a play I could use.”
Xavier McKinney said he still supports Saquon Barkley. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The 26-year-old is faced with the choice of either playing under the franchise tag or sitting out the season after the Giants missed the deadline for him to sign a long-term extension.
The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy reported that Barkley turned down an offer valued at $13 million annually that included $19.5 million guaranteed last season and that Barkley would not accept less than $22.5 million guaranteed.
McKinney faces his own looming negotiation, as he becomes a free agent after this season.
“We all with him. We all respect him. We all love him,” McKinney said.
“And we all know what he brings for our team, and we know what he’ll bring to any team, as well. And we also know how great he is in this league. So that’s how we approach it, and we’ll just keep it at that.”
Barkley and the Giants could not come to an agreement on a contract. AP
McKinney also said he’s checked in on Barkley, who is reportedly training at the Exos facility in Phoenix in lieu of reporting to camp.
Barkley can miss training camp without penalty but will begin to miss paychecks if he misses regular-season games.
If he plays under the franchise tag, it will be for $10.1 million.
“Definitely have been in contact with him, just letting him know that I love him that he’s my brother that I know how much he has impact to our team,” McKinney said. “Just letting him know those things. Letting him know that I’m with him 100 percent. That’s really about it. I’ve been in contact with him. That’s really all I can really speak on.”
Source: New York Post
