Saquon Barkley Continues To Leave His Mark
Barkley Making Giants Eat Their Words
It is easy to pile on a man when he is down, but the New York Giants, owner John Mara and General Manage Joe Schoen deserve much criticism for handling the Saquon Barkley situation.
The New York Giants had a franchise-changing running back. While he was hurt for most of his time in New York, he had three stellar seasons. One of which helped the Giants get to the divisional round of the playoffs. There, they lost to Barkley’s new team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Go back to the summer of 2023. You can even go back further—the 2023 NFL Free Agency period. New York had a decision to either put the franchise tag on Daniel Jones or Saquon Barkley. This is coming off the playoff appearance where Jones and Barkley put up huge numbers.
Management gave Daniel Jones the extension and put the tag on Barkley. Barkley made it clear he did not want to sign a tag. He ended up signing a one-year deal. Fast forward to this off-season, and the Giants are willing to go over the $12 million mark a season for their running back.
Mara tells Schoen on Hardknocks that he will lose sleep even if Barkley signs with the Eagles. What does Barkley do? He signs with Philadelphia and has been a difference-maker for Jalen Hurts.
As Barkley told the media, “The Giants were never in play for his services.”
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Barkley signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles worth $37.75 million. He is making the money he feels the Giants should have paid him: $15.833 million a season. The contract could go as high as $46.75 million, and he is getting $26 million guaranteed.
So far this season with the Eagles, he has 197 carries for 1,137 rushing yards averaging 5.9 yards a carry, including eight touchdowns. He has 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In the first game against the Giants, he had 176 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Barkley could have more, but he told head coach Nick Sirianni that was enough and to let the young kids eat.
Each week, he is making the Giants regret the decision not to bring him back.
"Of course, I mean, they (Giants) didn't give him the money that he wanted. So he will want to prove it and show them why they are going to miss him for the rest of the season," Michael Blackson told RG.org and Full Press Media. "That's what you do against your old team. You go all out for your new team and show them why they should have kept him."
Just look at the game against the Washington Commanders on Thursday night. When the Eagles needed offence, Barkley scored two scores in 28 seconds to ice the game. He also had an amazing backward hurdle. Saquon Barkley has been everything and more for the Philadelphia Eagles.
And as Blackson said, “We (The Philadelphia Eagles) Finally Have a Running Game.”
There is something to be said about having an active owner in the NFL. Sometimes they overrule the GM because they know it is best for business.
Letting Saquon Barkley go to a rival will haunt the New York Giants forever, especially if the Eagles win the Super Bowl.