| Free agency has not been kind to running backs in recent years.
Now, Saquon Barkley is set to traverse one of the most challenging financial landscapes those playing his position have ever seen.
The Giants opted not to franchise-tag Barkley before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline, meaning he will hit the open market for the first time after six NFL seasons.
He notably played on the franchise tag last year after failing to come to an agreement on a long-term deal with the Giants, turning down a three-year deal with $22 million-23 million guaranteed, The Post's Paul Schwartz previously reported.
This time, both sides — who have not exchanged contract numbers in the eight weeks since the season ended — are seemingly content to see what Barkley is worth to the rest of the NFL.
 Derrick Henry is a free agent after eight seasons as a workhorse running back for the Titans.
AP
He faces an extremely crowded — and talented — field.
Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Austin Ekeler and D'Andre Swift are highly productive running backs who also will be free agents, and there is a strong chance Joe Mixon will be cut by the Bengals and join them.
The next, likely cheaper tier includes the likes of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Devin Singletary, J.K. Dobbins, Kareem Hunt and Alexander Mattison.
Then there are the top options in the draft, including Jonathon Brooks, Blake Corum, Audric Estime.
How does Barkley stack up?
 Josh Jacobs, who topped 2,000 yards from scrimmage for the Raiders in 2022, is a year younger than Saquon Barkley.
Getty Images
Barkley, 27, is younger than Henry (30) and Ekeler (28) and is the same age as Mixon. He's older than Jacobs (26), Pollard (26) and Swift (25).
In terms of production, Henry (1,167), Swift (1,049), Mixon (1,034) and Pollard (1,005) all had more than Barkley's 962 rushing yards last season. Barkley notably played fewer games than those guys, but he averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt — lower than all four of those running backs.
And, about that availability — Barkley has played in just 45 games the past four years. In that same stretch, Henry played 57, Jacobs played 60, Pollard played 64, Ekeler played 57, Swift played 56 and Mixon played 53.
Barkley has produced less and been less available in recent years than the vast majority of other running backs he will be competing with on the open market, and he's certainly not the youngest.
And that's not even counting the incoming rookies, whom NFL executives increasingly are turning to to fill their running back position.
 Saquon Barkley did not receive the franchise tag from the Giants before Tuesday's deadline.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The possible alternative landing spots for Barkley include the Texans, Cowboys, Eagles and Chargers.
It remains to be seen whether the Giants will match Barkley's best offer or if Barkley would accept less to stay with a franchise with which he previously expressed he wants to spend his entire career.
The Post's Steve Serby suggested a three-year, $33 million contract with $24 million guaranteed as a happy middle ground for Barkley and the Giants.
But to get a lucrative offer, Barkley will be up against a heavily saturated market.
Today's back page  New York Post
The scoreboard Hawks 116, Knicks 100: Blighted by hideous shooting — Donte DiVincenzo was 7-of-24, Bojan Bogdanovic 6-of-18, Miles McBride 4-of-15. The Knicks hit just 16 of a whopping collective 52 3-point attempts (30.8 percent). Jalen Brunson's MRI exam was clean, but he sat out. The Knicks (36-26) fell to fifth place, part of a four-way East tie in the loss column, after their eighth loss in 11.
Nets 112, 76ers 107: The Nets (25-37) rallied from 14 points down against the extremely shorthanded Sixers, getting 20 points apiece from Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith plus 19 from Lonnie Walker IV. Cam Johnson limped away with a sprained right ankle.
 Nahiem Alleyne shoots a jumper as St. John's cruised past DePaul on Tuesday night in Chicago.
St. John's Athletics
St. John's 104, DePaul 77: Make that four in a row for the bubble-watch Red Storm (19-12) since Lateral Quickness Gate. Chris Ledlum and Jordan Dingle led six players in double figures with 19 points apiece. The Johnnies close the regular season Saturday at the Garden against Georgetown before the Big East Tournament.
Islanders 4, Blues 2: The Islanders erased a 2-0 deficit to win their fourth straight. Kyle Palmieri scored again, and Bo Horvat supplied the game-winner. The Isles (27-20-14) are four points back of the third-place Flyers with two games in hand.
Spring cleaning Call it SSS — Spring Subway Series.
The Mets and Yankees clashed in a spring training exhibition game Tuesday at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday, which the Mets won 5-4.
A few early takeaways:
• Tylor Megill continued his strong spring as he looks to secure a spot in the Mets rotation. He tossed three hitless innings with six strikeouts, and has now given up just one run in eight innings this spring with 13 strikeouts.
• Austin Wells is trying to win a spot on the Yankees' roster at catcher or as a designated hitter, but he hasn't been able to get going at the plate. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk, and is now hitting just .154 this spring.
 Anthony Volpe avoids the tag of Francisco Lindor at second base during Tuesday's Yankees-Mets Grapefruit League game.
AP
• Pete Alonso seems to be ready for his contract year. He doubled Tuesday, and is now hitting .385 with a whopping 1.423 OPS this spring.
• Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera aren't exactly making strong cases to make the Yankees' Opening Day roster. Peraza went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, and remains hitless this spring. Cabrera went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, and has just one hit in seven at-bats.
Operation: Ben Are you paying attention? This might get confusing.
Ben Simmons sat out the Nets' win over the 76ers on Tuesday night, the fifth straight game he's missed.
Simmons is dealing with a left lower back impingement, a new classification the Nets revealed after previously listing him as dealing with left leg soreness, though the team says the two injuries are related.
Simmons sat out the first game of that stretch because he is not yet cleared to play back-to-back games.
 Ben Simmons sits on the Nets bench in street clothes. Guess which month this photo is from. (It's February.)
USA TODAY Sports
It's been one thing after another with Simmons, who has played just 15 games this season — and 57 of 181 total games since being acquired by the Nets.
Let's look at the different reasons the Nets have given for why Simmons has not been able to play this season:
March 3-present: Left lower back impingement
Feb. 29-March 2: Left leg soreness
Feb. 27: Rest/Injury maintenance
Feb. 14: Left knee effusion
Feb. 5: Rest/Injury maintenance
Jan. 31: Left knee contusion
Nov. 14-Jan. 27: Left lower back impingement
Nov. 11-13: Left hip contusion
Nov. 8-10: Left hip soreness
Nov. 4: Rest/Injury maintenance
What we're reading 👀 🏈 The Giants opted not to place the transition tag on Xavier McKinney, risking losing the star safety when NFL free agency begins in five days.
🏈 The Jets are releasing tight end C.J. Uzomah in a move that frees up more than $5 million in salary-cap space.
🏀 Chaos and controversy in the New Jersey boys basketball semifinals: Camden High School advanced after Manasquan High School's game-winning last-second putback was waved off by referees, though it appeared to beat the buzzer.
👷♂️ What it means that the Dartmouth men's basketball team voted to unionize.
🎾 Simona Halep got off the hook.
🛷 A musher in the Iditarod had to shoot a moose — then gut it.
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