Cam Newton blasts the Giants for letting Saquon Barkley leave in free agency

Former Carolina quarterback Cam Newton says fans should blame the New York Giants as a 's---' franchise.

Tim Weaver | 5 Hours Ago

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 20: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles hugs Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants after the Eagles defeated the Giants 28-3 at MetLife Stadium on October 20, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. / (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

Running backs weren't supposed to matter in the modern NFL. However, thanks to some notable defensive trends around the league the run is sexy once again, and during this past free agent cycle some of the best of backs actually got paid - and it's paying off for their new teams in a big way.

The most-notable signing was the Baltimore Ravens getting Derrick Henry, who should logically be slowing down but only seems to be getting better with age. Heading into Week 8 King Henry already has a league-best 873 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, and the Ravens' run game looks pretty close to unstoppable right now when you throw in Lamar Jackson's talent on the ground.

The next-biggest name to get a new deal was Saquon Barkley, who had been the best player on the New York Giants but has now reinvigorated the rushing attack of the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. Through six games Barkley has averaged over 100 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns already. Meanwhile, the Giants' run game is stuck in the mud, and only seven teams are averaging fewer yards per game on the ground.

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was a hell of a rusher himself, and he can appreciate a good one when he sees it. That's why Newton blasted the Giants on his most-recent podcast for letting Barkley go. Watch (NSFW).

Cam Newton on Giants-Saquon Barkley

“Don’t hate @saquon—hate the decision-makers who put players in these tough spots.”@CameronNewton goes off on the @Giants and what he describes as 'sh!t franchises’ 😳 pic.twitter.com/PqLv6isvBc
— 4thand1show (@4thand1show) October 25, 2024