New York Giants star Saquon Barkley set for big payday

After seeing the Carolina Panthers pull out the big bucks for their star running back, New York Giants star Saquon Barkley has to be looking forward to a big pay raise.

Despite the uncertainty of the near future, the Carolina Panthers decided to lock up their biggest asset, running back Christian McCaffrey. His new deal is a four-year extension reportedly worth $16M per season. This makes McCaffrey the highest-paid running back in the league. One person who should be happy about the deal other than McCaffrey is New York Giants star runner, Saquon Barkley.

Barkley is eligible for the first time to sign an extension at the end of this season. Both sides could decide to do a deal now and lock up the future. The New York Giants could also wait and lock in players like Evan Engram and Jabrill Peppers who are free agents at the end of this season and won’t break the bank like Barkley’s deal. General Manager Dave Gettleman will likely wait to pay Barkley.

During his conference call with the media, Gettleman spoke about Barkley’s contract and his decision to not spend wildly during free agency.

"After another year, you guys (media) are going to be banging on me about Saquon. As I used to tell the guys down in Charlotte, when you wouldn’t spend all your money in free agency, I’d say, ‘Listen, you’re going to kill me about this? Well, you’re going to double kill me when we don’t have money to extend Luke Kuechly or Cam Newton or whomever.’”More from New York GiantsCaesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!When will the New York Giants’ First Win Come?New York Giants Look Horrible in Loss to 49ersNew York Giants to Play an Injured 49ers Team SundayNew York Giants: Breaking Down the Devonta Freeman Signing"

The team’s strategy is relying heavily on drafting well next week. With the number four pick, the team can make a huge statement with a guy like Isaiah Simmons. However, they are still going to have to take care of the star already on their roster.

Despite a losing record for the past few seasons, Barkley has continued to remain a bright spot. A hard-working player who always fights for an extra yard or two while being a model citizen off the field. McCaffrey became the highest-paid at the position after beating out Ezekiel Elliott’s $15M per year deal. Barkley will likely be the next in line to sign a record-breaking contract.

It’s unclear if and/or when the 2020 season will start. Based on his career so far, Barkley has to be in line for a big payday from Big Blue sooner rather than later.  If the New York Giants won’t pay him, another team absolutely will.