Former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is looked upon by some Giants fans as a traitor for having gone back on his repeated desire to be a Giant for life.
But when he entered into what turned into bumpy contract negotiations with the team after the 2022 season, which resulted in him having no voice but to sign a modified one-year franchise tag, that left a lasting sour taste in his mouth.
That conclusion results from a revelation made by Barkley’s trainer, Ryan Flaherty, who told SI.com’s Greg Bishop that New York at one point offered the running back a better financial deal than what Barkley eventually signed with the Eagles.
It Came Down to a Matter of Principle
Flaherty told Bishop that Barkley was not happy with how the Giants handled his final days in New York, something that, in retrospect, was evident in an episode of last year’s Hard Knocks offseason edition.
“(Barkley) wasn’t happy with how the Giants handled the end in New York,” Bishop wrote. “He never said so publicly. He understood the tension. And, while he reconciled the tension with his internal misgivings, he still wanted to remain loyal.”
That loyalty likely led Barkley to report to training camp on time when the initial talks broke down in 2022 and play on the one-year franchise tag, a risky proposition that ended up working out for him.
In the end, though, it wasn’t about the money as far as Barkley was concerned.
“When Giants brass decided to move on, he saw not fewer dollars in Philadelphia but a realistic chance to win a Super Bowl,” Bishop reported.
Worth noting is that Barkley has claimed that the Giants never made him an offer during the 2024 offseason. Based on that, the timing of the reported best offer would have likely happened the year prior.
Barkley, this year’s AP Offensive Player of the Year winner, has had a banner year in his first season with the Eagles. He rushed for a career-high 2005 yards, falling just shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.
Barkley also topped his previous career high in total scrimmage yards (2,028), which he set in his rookie season (2018). He finished this year with 2,283 scrimmage yards in regular season play.
Barkley also has 442 rushing yards and 668 total scrimmage yards this postseason, not counting the yet-to-be-played Super Bowl.
He’s also rushed for five touchdowns in this year’s postseason play as he looks to help the Eagles win their second Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
