After six seasons with the New York Giants, veteran running back and arguably the face of the storied franchise, Saquon Barkley, chose to leave the team in NFL free agency in order to sign with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley leaving in free agency was a major blow, to say the least, but leaving for a division rival was an even tougher thing to see for the Giants brass.
Apparently, team president John Mara was “sick” to see Barkley sign with the Eagles, as he had hoped the two-time Pro Bowler would return to New York for a few more years.
According to Connor Hughes of SNY, the Giants offered Barkley a contract twice during the free-agency process, but in the end, the 27-year-old decided it was time to move on.
John Mara said he “hated” seeing Saquon Barkley leave — texted him and told him it made him “sick” shortly after he signed. The fact he left for #Eagles made it a tougher pill to swallow.
Said he was “hoping” Barkley would be back. Referenced the two contracts the #Giants…
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 25, 2024
Although Barkley has had his fair share of injury issues over the years, which made the Giants hesitant to sign him to a long-term deal in the past, he’s easily one of the best running backs in the game when healthy.
The addition of Barkley to the Eagles’ backfield is a potential game-changer for Philadelphia as they will have arguably the best offense in the NFC to start next season with so many weapons for opposing defenses to deal with on a weekly basis.
If the Eagles can play up to their potential while staying healthy, Philadelphia’s offense could be unstoppable with Barkley, Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell and Dallas Goedert leading the way.
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