New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley delivered another strong season despite the team around him struggling, and he’s headed for free agency for the second-straight offseason.
Barkley couldn’t test the market though last offseason, as the Giants opted to place the franchise tag on him, but they were unable to reach a long-term contract with their star running back and will have to go through a similar process this offseason.
The Giants haven’t ruled out using the franchise tag on Barkley again, but they could opt to either tag-and-trade him or let him test the free agency considering their roster has several other needs.
Barkley’s still favored to return to the Giants though according to the odds, as he’s currently a -150 favorite to take his next snap with the Giants in 2024, but there are several other teams in the running.
The two teams with the best chance to get Barkley away from the Giants according to the odds are the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers, as they both need running back help and have cap space.
The Texans are currently +275 to land Barkley with incumbent running back Devin Singletary set to be a free agent, and the Chargers are at +400 and will likely want to bring in a prominent free agent running back like Barkley for new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Other teams near the top of the odds chart include the Chicago Bears (+1600), the Philadelphia Eagles (+1800), the Baltimore Ravens (+2200), the Minnesota Vikings (+2200) and the Dallas Cowboys (+2500).
Seeing Barkley go to the Eagles or Cowboys would be especially heartbreaking for the Giants considering they’re in the same division, but it appears possible since they could both use an upgrade at the position.
Longer shots include the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals at +4000 along with the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots all at +5000.
SAQUON BARKLEY NEXT TEAM ODDS
New York Giants (-150)
Houston Texans (+275)
Los Angeles Chargers (+400)
Chicago Bears (+1600)
Philadelphia Eagles (+1800)
Baltimore Ravens (+2200)
Minnesota Vikings (+2200)
Dallas Cowboys (+2500)
Las Vegas Raiders (+4000)
Cincinnati Bengals (+4000)
Tennessee Titans (+4000)
Green Bay Packers (+5000)
Carolina Panthers (+5000)
Buffalo Bills (+5000)
Washington Commanders (+5000)
New England Patriots (+5000)
Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday, Feb. 13