Colin Cowherd blames Daniel Jones’ $40,000,000 extension for Saquon Barkley’s contract debacle

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Modified July 20, 2023 04:58 GMT

Colin Cowherd has clearly blamed Saquon Barkley’s contract problem on Daniel Jones. The New York Giants and their running back failed to find the right deal for the player, who was arguably the most important element of their offense.

The NFL analyst believes that the moment they handed $40 million to Daniel Jones for four years and not Saquon Barkley, it created a reset within the player. He said,

“Once you handed Daniel Jones $40 million a year for four years, it changed the temperature in the room. You can never fool the players. Saquon Barkley, not the quarterback, is the worst part. most important part of the attack.”

Colin Cowherd illustrated his position by looking at the numbers the quarterback puts up with and without the running back. He pointed out that the play-caller numbers drop precipitously in the latter case. He added,

“And I’ll give you an example. Look at Daniel Jones’ numbers starting with Saquon Barkley. It’s not bad. 65 passer rating, 90 completion percentage [sic], 91 passer rating with Saquon Barkley. He’s falling like a rock, sans Saquon Barkley at 77. More picks than touchdowns. So Daniel Jones depends on Saquon Barkley. Daniel Jones got the bag. Barkley is being offered a franchise tag.” Colin Cowherd thinks they could have used a franchise tag on Daniel Jones instead of Saquon Barkley

Colin Cowherd said that instead of giving their quarterback a long-term contract based on last season, they could have given him the franchise tag. It would have made more sense considering their running back was the superstar who always played. The analyst added,

“But when you gave Jones the bag, and the only option now is a one-year deal for the centerpiece of the offense. That’s the difference between displeasure and resentment. I don’t think Barkley would resent if you gave Daniel Jones a franchise tag. I don’t think he would hold a grudge. I think he would be unhappy. He wants the big contract and there will be pressure on them. But you don’t wouldn’t be trapped for four years with Daniel Jones.”

Ultimately, however, he also acknowledged in a separate video that one of the reasons running backs are struggling league-wide is the reliance on passing in the modern game. He even asked players in this position to accept this as a necessary change.

Regardless of the decisions made by the Giants, one must look at structural changes within the NFL to once again elevate the importance of running backs to the system.

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