3 Most Likely Saquon Barkley Free Agent Destinations

The start of the NFL's new league year is under a month away and teams are already starting to figure out which free agents should be targeted. This year's running back class is led by Saquon Barkley, who racked up 1,650 total yards and 10 touchdowns on 352 touches across 16 games in 2022.

Barkley is the type of player a front office does whatever it takes to sign. He can run over defenders up the middle, juke opponents as he breaks to the outside or take a screen to the house with elite change-of-direction skills.

Here's a look at three of the most likely free-agent destinations for Barkley.

Saquon Barkley Free Agent Destinations

1. New York Giants

Many fans entered the 2022 season thinking it would be Saquon's final year with the team considering they hadn't made the playoffs since he was drafted second overall in 2018. That was before head coach Brian Daboll led his squad to a 9-7-1 record and a Wild Card spot. It was a breakout year for quarterback Daniel Jones and Barkley posted over 1,000 rushing yards for the first time since 2019. It would now be surprising to see Barkley leave a team that has found its groove on the offensive side. Barkley was the focal point of the Giants' offense, so look for the front office to dish out the cash to bring their stud RB back.

2. Carolina Panthers

It's safe to say Carolina fans were not too pleased when the team traded away running back Christian McCaffrey at the deadline this past season. Filling the hole at running back with Barkley would certainly put a smile back on their faces, though. The Panthers are expected to select a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Barkley would be the perfect backfield partner to build chemistry with. The former Penn State standout has logged at least 40 receptions in four of his five seasons and averages 7.4 yards per catch in his career. Barkley is a top-tier receiving option that would help quicken the development of both a young signal-caller and a new offensive scheme under head coach Frank Reich.

3. Chicago Bears

The Bears are going to be listed as a potential landing spot for a ton of free agents this offseason. After all, they have the most cap space available in the NFL and a general manager that is willing to take risks in Ryan Poles. David Montgomery is slated to be a free agent, too, which leaves Chicago with Khalil Herbert leading the backfield. Adding Barkley would provide a massive boost to the offense considering he averages 70.8 rushing yards and 30.3 receiving yards per game in his career. Attempting to defend Barkley as a rusher or receiver while also keeping an eye on the scrambling capabilities of quarterback Justin Fields would be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.