Things couldn't be going much worse if you're a NY Giants fan right now. The long-anticipated season debut against the Minnesota Vikings resulted in anguish, with the G-Men falling 28-6 on their home turf. Meanwhile, former fan-favorite running back Saquon Barkley had one of the best games of his life for the rival Philadelphia Eagles two days prior.
The front office knew it might be making a grave mistake when it let Barkley walk in free agency. He scored not one, not two, but three touchdowns en route to Philly's Week 1 victory over the Packers. Given the embarrassing performance by quarterback Daniel Jones this past Sunday, everyone is flaming Big Blue for choosing to pay Danny Dimes over Saquon, and the long list includes Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Micah Parsons:
Micah Parsons rips into Giants after Saquon Barkley's Eagles debut
"I think Saquon [Barkley] has a chance to be Offensive Player of the Year in this new offense... I tweeted that the Giants should be under investigation. You know why? Because how do you let this explosive weapon go to an NFC rival? Now, I get it, you paid Daniel Jones, but this is a brand new Saquon."
- Micah Parsons
The two-time All-Pro and 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year didn't mince his words when discussing the Giants on his podcast "The Edge." He believes Saquon could win OPOY in Philly's potent offense that features weapons such as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to support signal-caller Jalen Hurts.
Parsons tweeted that NY should be "under investigation" for letting its star tailback leave to a division rival in the offseason. Not only do the Giants have to watch him tear up the league in a new uniform, but they'll have to meet with him twice a year. Chances are he'll have his way with the G-Men defensive unit after its mediocre performance versus Minnesota.
During Hard Knocks, fans witnessed the discussions that took place between Joe Schoen and Barkley during free agency. NY's general manager wasn't willing to overpay for an injury-prone running back when the team had other glaring needs that had to be rectified. While that mindset makes sense on the surface, watching Saquon back in prime form by Game 1 of his Eagles tenure stings a little extra.
There are 16 games remaining on the schedule and the Giants can't pack it in just yet. Regardless, Jones looked worse than ever without Barkley in the backfield and he must make a ton of corrections if NY plans to be somewhat competitive in 2024.
