Four landing spots for Saquon Barkley in 2024

It seems that Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants are coming to the end of their six-year relationship, with both sides seeking to cut ties this offseason.

Saquon was in this situation last season off the back of one of his best seasons in blue, yet was met with a deal from the Giants head office that he felt didn’t realise his value to the franchise. As such he was slapped with the franchise tag and has had to play through injury, poor quarterback play and an ineffective offensive line in 2023. All signs point towards to divorce.

The next few months will undoubtedly define the former offensive rookie of the year’s legacy, coming off the back of multiple injuries, and at times having to carry the Giants offense quite literally on his back as the only true superstar they had, will teams really pay the big bucks for a 27 year old back?

Let’s assess his options and some potential suitors:

Chicago Bears

The Bears need to trade away Fields, the elephant in the room is that he did a lot to try to persuade them to stick with him, but there is little to no doubt in my mind that they were already sold on Caleb Williams long before Fields’s return from injury and impressive play down the stretch.

As such they will be looking for suitors themselves. Once Fields is gone that running game looks a hell of a lot weaker. Why not throw some cap space at Barkley and ease the load on Williams in his rookie year with a superstar back that has experience handling the brightest of spotlights in New York. It’s a duo I’d certainly love to see.

Dallas Cowboys

They are in the same boat as their division rivals, Tony Pollard was franchise tagged in 2023 and arguably had one of his worst years for America’s team.

Could we see a divisional switch for Barkley? He’d certainly find a far more dynamic offense than he has ever had in Dallas, with a more reliable quarterback and skilled players to ease the burden.

I think a lot of the decision making in Dallas will hinge on the Cowboys’ progression in the playoffs this year, win and we could see Pollard receiving another tag in 2024. Lose emphatically in the wildcard round (true to form) and Jerry Jones will likely be looking to hit the reset button at multiple positions and why not bring in a star running back to change the tide?

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings thought they had a ready made replacement for Dalvin Cook in Alexander Mattison, it is safe to say Mattison didn’t live up to that hype in 2023. 

They are missing a fast, game-breaking running back, which if healthy Barkley would be considered. The one sticking point, Justin Jefferson is expected to become the highest paid receiver in history this offseason, if they can get that sorted then they might just have a little money leftover for Saquon.

Baltimore Ravens

The second mention of Dalvin Cook in this article, and again not in a good way. I don’t think he is the true heir to the backfield in Baltimore, he fits a need for the playoffs only leaving the door open for a new stud back in 2024.

Lamar Jackson is the first option in the running game for the Ravens as he is the dynamic spearhead of their offense. He will undoubtedly remain their first option on the ground.

However, they have shown this year that as he ages and develops as a quarterback he is going to be more reliant on the running backs because they need him to stay in the pocket to prevent injury. Barkley wouldn’t break the bank in Baltimore and would be a great addition to this championship ready team.

Saquon was once seen as generational talent, putting him in the company of a similarly gifted quarterback in Lamar Jackson they could finally find themselves on a Super Bowl winning roster together.

Not that they won’t win it all this year…