Blue White Illustrated

December 2022

Penn State Sports Magazine

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 6 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M H aving fully recovered from an ankle injury that slowed him last year, Saquon Barkley has looked like a strong contender for NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2022. The former Nittany Lion great has been a key part of the New York Giants' surpris- ing return to playoff contention, ranking fourth in the league in rushing with 992 yards heading into Week 13. While they eye what would be their first playoff berth since 2016, though, the Gi- ants are wondering about another kind of comeback. Will Barkley come back to the team in 2023? General manager Joe Schoen initi- ated contract talks during the Giants' bye week in early November. Those discus- sions didn't lead to an extension, and now they won't resume until after the season. If the team has been feeling less urgency in recent weeks to re-sign Barkley, whom the Giants chose with the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, it may be because his production has fallen after a hot start. Barkley opened his fifth pro season with a 164-yard outburst against Ten- nessee. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry in New York's first five games, but then averaged 3.6 in the next six, including an 11-carry, 39-yard performance in a 28-20 loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. Barkley suffered a right shoulder injury against Green Bay in Week 5, and while he hasn't missed any games, the injury coin- cided with his statistical drop-off. The durability of running backs is al- ways a question in the NFL, and it's an es- pecially acute issue where Barkley is con- cerned. In addition to last year's troubles — he managed only 3.7 yards per carry in 13 games — Barkley missed all but two games in 2020 with a torn ACL. Despite the injuries, he is on the brink of his third 1,000-yard season and is one of the top running backs in the league. He's been the focal point of a Giants of- fense that has struggled to complement him with a strong passing attack. With San Francisco's Christian McCaf- frey averaging $16 million a year and both Ezekiel Elliott of Dallas and Alvin Kamara of New Orleans averaging about $15 mil- lion, Barkley is in line for a substantial raise. The Giants could use the franchise tag on him, which would cost them about $10 million. However, quarterback Daniel Jones is also in the final year of his pact, and if New York tagged Barkley, it would risk losing Jones. Barkley isn't the only former Nittany Lion who is excelling in the NFC East this year. Miles Sanders has 900 yards for Philadelphia and sits just below Barkley on this year's yardage list, giving Penn State two of the league's top five rushers. FORMER NITTANY LIONS IN THE NFL Through games of Nov. 28 Marcus Allen (Played at Penn State from 2014- 17), LB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Allen has played in all 11 games for the Steelers, seeing his most extensive action in recent weeks with time on kick coverage, kickoff returns, punt coverage and punt returns. He has 8 tackles for the season. Barkley was fourth in the NFL in rushing with 992 yards through the first 12 weeks of the season. PHOTO BY KEITH ALLISON/KA SPORTS PHOTOS Saquon Barkley Enjoys A Resurgence, But Questions Loom In Offseason M AT T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS

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