Saquon Barkley’s postgame interview on Amazon Prime Video was taken over by Philadelphia Eagles fans as they chanted “Thank you Giants” in a savage dig towards their NFC East rivals.
Once again, Barkley was the difference for Philadelphia on Thursday night as he rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-18 comeback win over the Washington Commanders. Barkley leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,137) and is competing with Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry for the best impact signing this past offseason.
Barkley made it clear to the Giants that he wanted to remain with the Big Blue for the entirety of his NFL career, but the organization told him to test the market after failing to agree on an extension. Barkley ended up signing a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles, who have made their rivals pay for allowing the running back to walk away.
The Eagles are now 8-2 this season and battling the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Giants are 2-8 and already headed towards rebuilding mode. The decision to re-sign quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract and let Barkley walk hasn’t worked out, and the Eagles fans made sure to amplify that on Thursday.
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Barkley’s impact in Philadelphia has been damning, as the Giants have 1,199 rushing yards across their entire offense while the Eagles running back has 1,137 alone. Barkley also has 10 touchdowns this season (eight rushing), while the Giants have only rushed into the end zone seven times as a team.
The former Giant has as many games with 140+ rushing yards (four) this season as New York does, while his replacement is yet to hit 100 yards in a game for his new team. After Barkley signed with the Eagles, former Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary was signed as a cheaper alternative.
The Giants agreed on a three-year, $16.5 million contract with Singletary, but he’s managed just 323 yards and two touchdowns in eight games played this season. Barkley is now happy at a place where he feels appreciated by the organization, after feeling disrespected in New York.
Barkley was the fan favorite and one of the main offensive stars for the Giants, but general manager Joe Schoen told him to test the market and then come back to him with an offer to see if the franchise would match it. This conversation was had over a phone call, and played a part in Barkley’s decision to leave after six seasons.
“I was a little fed up, to be honest,” Barkley said. “It felt like the only way the Giants wanted me (was) if I was able to go show my worth to someone. Like, I (had) to go prove that a team would want to pay me, so then, maybe, they would want to pay me.”
As a former No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and as someone who was willing to sign a lifetime deal, Barkley was outraged. “I kind of felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest,” Barkley added. “Because it’s kind of like a slap in the face.
“I never felt like we really got a fair negotiation. Joe, he made a comment that (negotiations) took 10 years off his life. It took 10 years off your life? What do you think it did for me?”
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