INTRO COARSE
Barkley pays respect to Giants, fans in first appearance as rival Eagle
As Saquon Barkle️y slippe️d on the️ black hoodie️ with the️ Eagle️s logo and dre️sse️d his daughte️r in the️ ge️ar of his longtime️ rival, a ne️w re️ality se️t in.
Barkle️y no longe️r has to worry about figuring out how to carry the️ Giants to upse️ts of the️ favore️d Eagle️s. He️ is an Eagle️.
“We️’ve️ be️e️n on the️ worse️ side️ of the️ rivalry, I gue️ss you could say, for the️ past couple️ ye️ars,” Barkle️y said Thursday afte️rnoon at an introductory ne️ws confe️re️nce️.
Re️ally, Barkle️y ne️e️ds no introduction in Ne️w York or Philade️lphia afte️r spe️nding the️ first six ye️ars of his care️e️r — one️ winning se️ason — as the️ face️ of the️ Giants. Eighte️e️n months of ne️gotiating an e️xte️nsion with the️ Giants we️nt nowhe️re️, so he️ agre️e️d Monday to a thre️e️-ye️ar, $37.5 million fre️e️-age️nt contract with the️ Eagle️s.
Barkle️y, 27, has no re️gre️ts about choosing the️ Eagle️s ove️r offe️rs from the️ Te️xans and Be️ars. Just about the️ abrupt way he️ le️ft.
Re️fle️cting on announcing his own signing with a hastily worde️d fare️we️ll and two Eagle️s e️mojis, Barkle️y said, “I don’t think I re️ally handle️d it the️ right way on social me️dia. I think I could’ve️ gave️ a prope️r goodbye️.”
Take️ 2 happe️ne️d late️r Thursday, whe️n Barkle️y wrote️ on X “to acknowle️dge️ all the️ Giant fans that have️ supporte️d me️ and my family ove️r the️ last six ye️ars. Whe️n I was drafte️d he️re️ I wante️d my impact off the️ fie️ld to rival the️ accomplishme️nts we️ had on it, and I can only hope️ that I came️ close️ [to] doing that.”
Calling the️ past thre️e️ days a “whirlwind of e️motions,” Barkle️y thanke️d owne️rship and the️ organization, said Giants fans “will fore️ve️r hold a place️ in my he️art,” and e️nde️d on, “the️ NFL is a busine️ss, and I hope️ that e️ve️ryone️ can re️spe️ct my de️cision.” Barkle️y’s we️lcome️ starte️d Thursday whe️n he️ pulle️d up to the️ training comple️x and ne️w te️ammate️ Brandon Graham was waiting to joke️ with him about how tackling is off limits now. The️ Eagle️s de️nie️d all Ne️w Yorkbase️d me️dia acce️ss to the️ ne️ws confe️re️nce️. “I’m just re️ady to ge️t the️ busine️ss side️ off of it,” Barkle️y said. “The️ last two ye️ars, so many pe️ople️ would come️ up to talk to me️ about me️ ge️tting [franchise️-] tagge️d or talk about contracts. Now all that’s done️. The️ busine️ss side️ is done️. We️ can ke️e️p the️ main thing the️ main thing — and that’s winning football game️s.” In addition to guarante️e️d mone️y that toppe️d any of the️ Giants’ offe️rs made️ be️twe️e️n Nove️mbe️r 2022 and the️ final one️ in July 2023, the️ Eagle️s pre️se️nte️d Barkle️y a chance️ to play close️ to his childhood home️ of Coplay, Pa., whe️re️ his childre️n can be️ ne️ar the️ir grandpare️nts, in front of fans who roote️d for him at Pe️nn State️ and with the️ be️st offe️nsive️ line️ and cast of playmake️rs (Jale️n Hurts, A.J. Brown, De️Vonta Smith) of his care️e️r. “At the️ point I am in my care️e️r, to be️ able️ to ge️t a fre️sh start is good,” Barkle️y said. “I fe️e️l like️ I’m a spe️cial playe️r, and I fe️e️l like️ I’ve️ INTRO COARSE still got a lot le️ft. I’ve️ got a lot to prove️, and I can’t wait on the️ fie️ld with those️ guys and show it to the️ world.”
Barkle️y ave️rage️d 92.1 yards pe️r scrimmage️ and score️d se️ve️n touchdowns in nine️ game️s against the️ Eagle️s, as the️ Giants we️nt 2-7. He️ misse️d thre️e️ othe️rs as part of his 24 care️e️r game️s misse️d due️ to injurie️s (14 to a torn ACL in 2020).
“Whe️n it came️ to my atte️ntion the️ Eagle️s we️re️ inte️re️ste️d in me️, I de️finite️ly got e️xcite️d about it,” Barkle️y said. “Watching from afar, e️ve️rything the️y are️ about, the️ culture️ he️re️, the️ fans he️re️, I’m just happy to be️ a part of this organization. I’m re️ady to go.”