Running back Saquon Barkley suggested earlier this season that he didn't understand why so many New York Giants fans turned on him after he left the club as a free agent and then signed with the rival Philadelphia Eagles this past March.
Some of Barkley's former teammates defended him before this Sunday's game between the Eagles and Giants, marking the 27-year-old's return to MetLife Stadium for the first time as a Philadelphia player.
"I’m not too big on the name-calling and the dishing and the bashing, ’cause I would say put yourself in his shoes," Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson said about Barkley while chatting with Steve Serby of the New York Post on Wednesday. "I don’t feel like there should be any bad blood. At the end of the day, it’s a business."
Jordan Raanan and Tim McManus of ESPN detailed this week how Giants fans took to calling Barkley "Snaquon" for agreeing to a three-year, $37.75M contract that could be worth up to $46.75M with $26M fully guaranteed to join arguably New York's most-hated foe. Giants legend and current NFL analyst Tiki Barber has repeatedly said he never would have made such a business decision during his career because the rivalry between the clubs "was real" in his era.
Barkley insisted on Wednesday he has "no hate" for people associated with the Giants, even though it's now clear that New York general manager Joe Schoen never attempted to match Philadelphia's offer for the No. 2 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
"I don’t think that’s a fair assessment," Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke said about Big Blue fans referring to Barkley as a traitor. "Obviously it’s a game we all love, a game fans are passionate about. But this is a way that we feed our families in our livelihoods. So anytime a player makes a decision that they feel is in the best interest for them and their family, I’m in full support of that."
It feels inevitable that Barkley will hear more than a few boos from members of the Giants faithful before and during the game between 3-2 Philadelphia and 2-4 New York. By the fourth quarter, he could silence those jeers if he helps the visitors notch a runaway victory.
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Eagles as three-point favorites for that matchup.
