New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen offered a blunt assessment when the team was debating whether or not to use the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley earlier this offseason.
In a moment captured on camera for Hard Knocks (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith), Schoen explained to other Giants decision-makers that Daniel Jones' contract was prohibitive to keeping Barkley.
"You're paying the guy $40 million. It's not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back," Schoen said.
Barkley would have earned $12.1 million on the one-year tender in 2024 if the Giants had used their franchise tag to retain him.