Saquon Barkley has said he could opt to sit out the upcoming season after he and the New York Giants failed to reach a resolution on his contract situation ahead of last week’s deadline.

The star running back has received the franchise tag from the Giants, worth a reported $10.091 million, but has not signed that as of publication and is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of the team.

Barkley ran for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, helping the Giants to their first playoff appearance since 2016. It was a return to form for the former first-round pick who piled up 2,310 yards and 23 total touchdowns over his first 2 years in the league. As such, he’s seeking a long-term commitment from the organization.

According to ESPN, the last running back to sign a long-term deal worth at least $10 million a year was Cleveland’s Nick Chubb in 2021.

Chubb said Sunday, per ESPN, that he thinks Barkley deserves better from the Giants.

“We’re definitely in a tough situation, running backs as a whole. Saquon’s a great player, and you can ask anyone around the league or even on the Giants how much he means to that team,” he said, per ESPN. “So it’s hard seeing him not get what he deserves.”

Chubb and Barkley were reportedly participants on a Zoom call Saturday that also included other star running backs around the league to discuss the depressed market for players at the position in today’s NFL and the growing sentiment that the position’s best aren’t being paid their true value.

When he’s at 100%, Barkley is one of the most electric playmakers in the sport. Without him in the picture, the Giants have names like Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, and rookie Eric Gray to man the spot.

“My leverage is I could say f–k you to the Giants, I could say f–k you to my teammates and be like, ‘You want me to show you my worth? You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won’t show up. I won’t play a down,’” Barkley said recently on “The Money Natters” podcast.