Saquon Barkley Makes Heartfelt Confession Regarding Departure from Giants

Barkley gave his side of the story behind his free agency departure from the Giants in a new exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Mar 14, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley speaks during a press conference after signing with the team. / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley might be viewed as a traitor for signing a free agency contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants' biggest division rivals, especially after repeatedly expressing a desire to be a Giant for life.

But in a new exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini for the Scoop City podcast, the ex-Giant confessed that it hurt to have to leave the team that not only drafted him but that he also wanted to be a part of for life.

“I was like, ‘Damn, like it’s going to suck.’ It hurt,” Barkley told Russini. “I wanted to do this, and that’s why it hurts. I’m the type of person–I envision things like. I wanted to be a part of New York and the success and be a part of that organization.”

As much as Barkley wanted to be a Giant for life, he also wanted to be compensated for his worth so that he felt respected.

Barkley revealed he had just two calls with the Giants, one immediately after the season and then the one shown in the Hard Knocks series. He also implied that the Giants gave off mixed signals about what they wanted to do, which he admitted left him frustrated.  

“We talked after the season,” Barkley said. “They were like, ‘Do you still want to be a Giant, and I was like, ‘I already said where I want to be.’ … And they said, ‘We're going to figure it out; we're going to make it work. We'll talk to your agent.’

“They said at the combine that, you know, ‘We’ll have a deal–we have something ready for you,” Barkley said. “Then we come find out they didn't want to send me an offer because they didn’t want to be disrespectful or whatever (general manager) Joe (Schoen) said on that on that episode.

“It was kind of weird for me,” he continued. “I felt like the only way the Giants wanted me was if I was able to go show my worth to someone–like I was able to go prove that a team would want to pay me so like then maybe they would want to pay me.”

May 30, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball during practice at NovaCare Complex. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Barkley surmised that the Giants figured he would get offers ranging around $8-$10 million average per year (APY) and that he believes that had the best offer he received on the market fell at around $9 million APY, that would have gotten a deal done.

“(Schoen) had a price point where he was willing to pay, and he wasn't going to go over it,” Barkley said. “Kudos to him for sticking to his gut, but yeah I kind of felt like it was a

a little disrespectful to be honest. “‘You go see what you are worth and then if you're worth that we'll see if you're worth it maybe we'll match it.’” 

With the two sides failing to reach an agreement, Barkley, who in addition to an offer from the Eagles received two other offers from teams whom he declined to identify, took his talents to Philadelphia.

 “I feel like it’s going to be the best chance for me to succeed as a player, succeed in my career — and the team,” Barkley said. “The most important thing, where can I go as a team where I feel like I can actually help a team take it to the next level where they’re trying to go, and it was Philly.”

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