Eagles' Saquon Barkley says he doesn't 'have to prove anything' vs. Giants
Saquon Barkley heads back to the Meadowlands on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) for the first time since leaving the New York Giants in free agency this offseason, but the star running back isn't expecting it to be a revenge game of any sort.
After Barkley's decision to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles left some Giants fans and former players bitter, he said he has "no hate" towards his former team.
"Nah. I do know my mindset on that: I don't have to prove anything to them," Barkley told reporters. "I'm thankful for the opportunity for this organization — [owner] Jeffrey [Lurie] to [general manager] Howie [Roseman], to everybody getting me here. So that's the people I gotta prove it to — and my teammates — and at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning, whether I go have 300 yards or if I have 10 yards.
"As long as we win, I don't really have that big of a pride or ego that if I go out there and ball, I'm looking at those guys over like, 'Look at what you guys let go.'"
Barkley was one of the best running backs in the NFL over his six-year tenure with the Giants, recording a pair of Pro Bowl seasons. However, his situation with the team grew sour during the 2023 offseason, when Barkley received the franchise tag. He eventually signed a reworked one-year deal to remain with the Giants for the 2023 season, which wound up being his last year in New York. He signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles at the start of free agency in March.
The decision to sign with the Eagles was immediately met with backlash from Giants fans. Former Giants running back Tiki Barber said that Barkley was "dead to us," though he later said his comments were made in a joking manner. He also had a back-and-forth with Giants fans on social media later in the offseason.
Despite the offseason drama, Barkley isn't expecting to be particularly singled out by Giants fans in his return on Sunday.
"I mean, I guess, I said I don't expect to get booed. I was meaning more, like, this rivalry is so much bigger than what happened in the offseason between me and the Giants with ‘Hard Knocks,'" Barkley said. "It's been going on for a very long time, so I've been on the other side, I know how Giants fans feel. I don't know what the environment is going to be like, but I'm excited. As a player, as a competitor, you gotta welcome those environments, those moments. Whatever it is, hopefully it gives me a little extra juice and I can go out there and perform and help my team win."
Barkley's contract negotiations were also played out in the offseason edition of "Hard Knocks," which followed the Giants. In it, Giants owner John Mara said that he would "have a tough time sleeping" if Barkley signed with their division rival. Barkley isn't sure what his emotions will be like for Sunday's game.
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"I'm still processing that, I guess," Barkley said. "I'm going to treat it the same [way] I always treat it. I always have the mindset every game's important, every game is special; you never know when your last one is going to be.
"Obviously, there is some history there, for sure. Especially going back there, it will be interesting. I don't have an exact answer - I'll probably have a better answer later in the week."
Regardless of Barkley's emotions, Sunday's game is an important early-season tilt for both teams. Despite their 3-2 record, the Eagles haven't been as impressive as some might have thought they would be entering the year. The Giants, meanwhile, are off to a 2-4 start and have already lost two divisional games.
Barkley isn't holding any personal grudges toward the Giants, but that doesn't mean he won't be motivated for Sunday's game.
"It's no hate over there," Barkley said. "At the same time, I do know it's a big game, it's an important game, it's a division rival, and I'm going in there locked in and do the best I can to help us win the game."
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