Saquon Barkley Feels Eagles Fans' Love, "Super Excited" About Kelly Green Uniforms

The Eagles running back got a lot of support from Eagles fans during teammate DeVonta Smith's third annual celebrity softball game on the final weekend of June.

Saquon Barkley felt the love from Eagles fans at Coca-Cola Park during the third annual DeVonta Smith celebrity softball game on June 29, 2024. / By Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Saquon Barkley had no idea Kelly Green was a big deal to most Eagles fans until he was surrounded by many fans wearing the team’s alternate jersey colors at Coca-Cola Park on the final Saturday of June.

“I didn’t know it was a big thing until I got here,” the running back said during teammate DeVona Simth’s third annual celebrity softball game at the home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, which is the Triple-A affiliate of the Phillies.

“I didn’t know how much love Kelly green got, so I think I have to kind of say I’m super excited for those games. I’m still learning, obviously, being new to the team, so, yeah, I’m super excited for those games and they’re going to be really good games, I believe.”

The Eagles will wear their Kelly Green in Week 9 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars (Nov. 3, Sunday Night Football) and Week 17 (Dec. 29) vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

By then, there’s no telling how many yards Barkley will have rushed for, how many yards receiving he will have compiled, and, of course, how many touchdowns he will have scored.

Expectations are nothing new for him. He had them when the New York Giants took them second overall in the 2018 draft and he has them on his new team, even greater expectations after the Eagles did something the Giants balked at doing - give him a three-year contract that will pay him an average of about $13 million per season.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently added more on a SportsCenter telecast, saying, “The feeling around the league, talking to several teams, is that Saquon Barkley will make a major impact, maybe even like a Christian McCaffrey-to-49ers type impact.”

Saquon Barkley at the DeVonta Smith celebrity softball game on June 29, 2024. / By Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

It is why Eagles fans are enamored with general manager Howie Roseman’s signing of the free agent. But there’s more to just numbers for Barkley being popular among fans, as evidenced by the large number of No. 26 jerseys worn by approximately 8,000 fans who turned out for Smith’s softball game.

There were also hundreds of fans cheering Barkley during pre-game batting and fielding practice. For the record, Barkley did not bat i the game, because he is still learning how to play it after not having much to do with growing up. He did get some time in the field.

“Always been love," he sad about Eagles fans, "but it’s a little extra love now that I’m wearing green and I’m on the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I have people coming up to me now saying they wanted me since the draft, since I was in college. I played high school ball in Pennsylvania, played college ball in Pennsylvania, so now I’m back home and playing in Pennsylvania again. It means a lot to me.”

There is still a segment of Giants fans who are having a hard time accepting Barkley’s decision to leave North Jersey for Philly. Barkley is OK with that.

“I don’t care if a Giants fan talks bad,” he said. “It’s sad. If I do respond it’s more for an educational purpose. It’s a business and a lot of people don’t get that side. People will say what they want to say…at the same time I don’t want to take anything away from my situation now because I’m so unbelievably blessed and thankful for all the love I’m getting from Eagles fans and within the organization.”

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