Report: Saquon Barkley targeting Houston Texans as next NFL team

The 2024 NFL free agency period is set to begin in less than two weeks. In the time leading up to free agency, players set to hit the open market are able to peruse the landscape in hopes of finding a new home for next season. When it comes to one of the top running back free agents this year, former New York Giants Saquon Barkley, it appears as if he has eyes for a Texas franchise, and they might be looking to acquire his services as well.

According to a local Houston news network, KPRC-2, the Texans are on Barkley’s short list of potential teams he will consider joining this offseason and has been in communication with star quarterback CJ Stroud about joining the franchise. Houston plans to add firepower to their backfield this offseason, which could make this a perfect NFL match.

This season, Barkley rushed for 962 yards in 14 games with six touchdowns for New York. He also had 41 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns. It was just the third season in his career in which he didn’t surpass 1,000 rushing yards, but he only played 14 of 17 games. Last year, he had 1,312 rushing yards and 338 receiving yards.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline follows the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.