NFL rumors: Aaron Rodgers trade timeline, Lamar disinterest explained, and more

Though the NFL rumors are slowing down a bit, there’s still plenty of new information coming out. Today: Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, and Saquon Barkley.

It’s April Fool’s Day, so be vigilant out there, folks. Pranksters are everywhere. But fear not, today, we are going to round up the latest in the world of NFL rumors. These rumors have been vetted to be from legitimate reporters who are most definitely not fooling.

While NFL free agency has gone through at least its first wave and has now slowed to a crawl, the draft is nearing in just a few weeks.

Not only that, but the Aaron Rodgers trade that will happen and the Lamar Jackson trade that might happen are making things interesting in the world of NFL rumors.

Giants have interest in securing Saquon Barkley with contract extension

The New York Giants paid through the nose to secure Daniel Jones, and as a result, Saquon Barkley got the short end of the stick with the franchise tag.

Make no mistake, the tag is great money for an average person — Barkley will make $10 million next year — but running backs are not exactly in the durability business. The position wears down quickly, and Barkley may have peaked in 2022.

The Giants are hoping they can find a way to secure him to an extension, though, but the figure around how much is an interesting question. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported that New York reneged (subscription required) on its existing extension offer (provided as an option to Barkley before the tag).

They want to sign him long-term, but a tepid running back market and short-term memory showing what happened to a division rival by committing too much to Ezekiel Elliott might remind New York that investing too heavily in the position can have bad results.