3 Teams Most Likely to Sign Saquon Barkley in Free Agency
Saquon Barkley once again has a very cloudy future for his career in football.
After the announcement came this week that the Giants would not be franchise tagging Barkley for the second year in a row,speculation began as to where he might be headed for this upcoming season.
Barkley has been a fixture of the New York offense since being drafted second overall in 2018. His 2023 season was rather questionable, however, as he was in an unsure spot regarding negotiations on his contract. Ultimately though, after several months of doubt, Saquon settled for a tag, which according to Barkley, "irked" him, as the decision evoked a sense of disloyalty towards the Giants franchise.
Now, with everything up in the air for his future with the G-Men, where could Barkley potentially be headed?
1. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans find themselves strategically positioned to potentially acquire Barkley, given the status of their current RB1 Devin Singletary. As Singletary enters free agency himself, Barkley stands out as a seamless replacement, offering the prospect of strengthening the Texans' backfield. Additionally, Houston has a cap space of $70 million dollars, making their decision to grab Barkley a no brainer.
With the team's commendable 2023 season, fueled by the outstanding performance of Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud, Barkley certainly poses as an excellent candidate to assist the Texans on the road to a potential Super Bowl.
2. Dallas Cowboys
In a similar situation, the Dallas Cowboys could see their star running back Tony Pollard hit free agency after neglecting to franchise tag him. The Cowboys, for many years, have proved to be one of the Giants most difficult rivals. With Ezekiel Elliott's exit, the Cowboys now have ample cap space to confidently pursue Saquon Barkley, making them formidable contenders for the star running back.
The Giants' rivals have long established themselves as a team that likes to lean on a star workhorse in the backfield, and with Pollard going the way of Ezekiel Elliott, there's a big opening in Big D.
The offense has moved in a more pass-heavy direction lately, but Barkley would certainly give the Cowboys one of the league's scariest offenses.
Giants fans don't want Saquon sticking around in the NFC East, but you know what they say — If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
3. Chicago Bears
The Bears have recently emerged as a rumored landing spot.
Given Chicago's desire to rebuild quickly with talent to support their quarterback, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense.
Barkley would be an absolutely massive upgrade over Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. And that addition would go a long way to making life easier for either Justin Fields or Caleb Williams under center.
Furthermore, the Bears are actively exploring the market for wide receivers, presenting another valuable avenue to enhance their rebuilding efforts.
Saquon Barkley's future is one of the league's biggest storylines this offseason, and even if Giants fans say they don't mind seeing him go, they'll all be watching closely to see where he ends up.