A story reminding us the battle isn’t ours. It belongs to talent and faith.
We’ve all been there.
Waiting for an important decision to be made over our life.
The wait, as heavy as the anticipation.
Our lives put on pause while momentarily deferring power to someone else’s conclusion. Why?
Well, initially we’re all patient for the fulfillment from outside direction and validation.
Saquon Barkley was no different last season, as Giants brass waded between him and Daniel Jones—which of them to give the multi-million dollar extension, and which of them to tag.
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Giants Front Office: Saquon Barkley vs. Daniel Jones
I remember being at the practice facility during this time.
First, when the Giants abruptly awarded Jones a multi-year extension last March (fresh off Brian Daboll winning coach-of-the-year); and second, when Barkley shuffled last summer through his own counter-measures—sending a message via holding out, or just reporting to camp.
This is the irony of a decision that impacts our life: it gives us the opportunity to make a decision of our own.
Should one spitefully seek revenge with infectious discontent, or acquiesce to the higher peace of faith for some, or basic self-belief for others?
After all, Barkley was obviously the bigger star and media attraction, who was also coming off a career-best in rushing yards as well.
For Barkley, everyday became a delicate measure of his fate and free-will, beset against the backdrop of other running backs around the league also fighting for the value of the same position.
While Christian McCaffrey set the market-high three years prior to last season with an extension awarding him $16M/year, other running backs like Joe Mixon still slotted just below that figure with a substantive average of $12M/year that same season, while Aaron Jones received that average the next year.
Fast forward again to last season, when owners and general managers were reassessing running back compensation, determined to heed the downward trajectory they preferred to put on the position’s pay.
J.K. Dobbins was feeling it.
Dalvin Cook was feeling it.
The same angst was building in Barkley’s gut too.
Likely angst and anger from expiring contracts intersecting with bad timing.
Then finally the offer came: not just offering money, but a raw assessment of value and worth.
A disappointing offer…
A one-year $10.091M deal to be exact for Barkley—including $909,000 of incentives. It was a clever figure—just below Josh Jacobs’ near-$12M deal of $11.791M in a restructured extension to stay with the Raiders.
Sigh.
Exhale.
Look, relatively speaking, $10M is always a lot of money to anybody—however, it just wasn’t long-term, and more importantly it wasn’t what Barkley deserved relative to the performer and overall ambassador he was not just to his teammates and coaches, but also to the Giants franchise.
Not to mention Barkley was more synonymous with the Giants logo than Jones, and had been representing it longer.
Now, on one hand, one can easily understand why Giants brass rewarded Jones if you merely revert to custom notions; the quarterback is clearly the position that touches the ball the most and around which, the rest of a team is made.
However, doing what is traditionally common, doesn’t always mean it’s right. Ironically, the same idiom that pertained to the Giants, also applied to Barkley.
Barkley could’ve easily pouted and made a big stink last year. Barkley could’ve easily missed games, and found another way for his team to painfully realize his real worth in a dramatic quest for retribution.
Let your talent do the talking
Instead, Barkley just showed up. That’s it; just showed up, picked up his cleats, professional hat and went to work.
Barkley’s fear of not being a statesman, ended up being his best virtue.
Yet going back to work was not a white-flag surrender—(not with the MVP campaign Barkley is currently marching on with the Giants division-rival Eagles)—it’s a profound underlining of, the battle not being his.
How inspiring is that?
In those moments of confusion, and probable anger and despair, it’s so easy to pick up the proverbial sword and fight anyone who’s usurping our due recognition. To wallow in injustice, self-pity and stagnation.
Or, we can realize, we really don’t need to wait on any decision, or any answer from anyone.
At any given moment, of any given day, we not only have the power to press out our skills and talents, but we also have the power to let the universe play itself out.
To of course, the script of faith–which doesn’t include giving in to the naysayers, who ultimately negate their own cosmic goodwill.
It’s amazing the sense of humor that can come from above.
Equal to its own magic, is its ability to create the perfect stage for its overriding might.
And just like that, there Saquon Barkley was—running before a national audience on Sunday night; not only to an historic performance, but also one that was for the ages.
A performance that not only allowed Barkley to surpass his career-high that same night, but one that also proved he was always the guy, all along.
A performance that punctuated the same week Jones requested to leave his former team to officially close this circular tale.
Barkley’s tremendous sports story serves as proof that we don’t have to wait on anyone, for any answer concerning our lives.
Because no one person or group should affect the best of who we are, nor the best of what we do.
Gifts and talent will always rise to the top, when we continue to work diligently and in humility.
Someone else’s decision is not just false power, it’s temporary. The secret to negating it: is not waiting for it, but to keep going.
We appreciate Saquon Barkley for this glorious reminder.
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