Saquon Barkley’s desire to be a Giant for the rest of his life will not come true.
Instead, he flies out of the coop and heads toward the rival Eagles.
On Monday, the first day of free agency, the star running back traded blue for green and agreed to a three-year contract to play for the Eagles.
According to ESPN, the contract is worth $37.75 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
That doesn’t sit well with Giants fans who bought Barkley’s No. 26 jersey and now will see him play for an NFC East opponent they despise.
The film is a return to his roots, as Barkley was born in the Bronx but grew up in Copley, Pennsylvania, and starred at Penn State.
And the fact that the Eagles are the Giants’ biggest rival makes this move even more painful for one and exhilarating for the other.
Barkley’s Giants lost regularly and were often beaten by the Eagles. Over the past six seasons, the Giants are 3-10 against the Eagles. Now, Barkley will get a chance to see how the other half fares in this Jersey Turnpike rivalry.
Thus ends Barkley’s unsatisfactory six-year stay with the Giants, who took him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, going against traditional position value protocols.
That decision was made by Dave Gettleman’s front office. The current front office, led by general manager Joe Schon, wanted Barkley to stay, but refused to extend him financially beyond what today’s running back market indicates he should be paid.
This is a seismic shift for an organization that believed Barkley would be the face of the franchise on and off the field.
Berkeley almost met that incredibly high standard. He was never given the luxury of a quality offensive line, and since he was rarely surrounded by a quality passing attack, he ended up surrounded by defenses lined up to stop him. Ta.
Barkley missed games due to injury four times in six years. Through it all, he was a leader in the locker room, commanding great respect from his teammates, dutifully reciting company policy, and being there to help the Giants turn things around, not if, but if. I insisted that I wanted to. .
Off the field, Barkley was a champion in the community and was nominated for the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award the past two years. His No. 26 jersey was by far the most visible and popular at MetLife inside his stadium, inside his malls shopping in the New Jersey and New York areas, and on the backs of young people and fans everywhere he roamed.
NFL legal tampering period has arrived. Saquon Barkley and Kirk Cousins are on the move. Follow The Post for live updates as 2024 NFL free agency begins.
Barkley, 27, will embark on the next chapter of his career in Philadelphia. With the Giants, Barkley played under three different head coaches and endured five losing seasons in six years.
In many ways, his first season was his best, gaining 1,307 rushing yards and setting career highs in rushing average (5.0) and receiving (91). Barkley was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and appeared to be on the path to greatness.
The following season was interrupted due to injury. He managed to rack up 1,003 rushing yards in 2019, but tore his ACL in Week 3 in 2020, ending his season after just two games. Barkley struggled to regain his form, rushing for just 593 yards in 13 games in 2021.
With a new system under Shane and head coach Brian Daboll in 2022, Barkley needed to prove himself, and he did just that with a career-high 1,317 rushing yards. Just as importantly, Barkley finally played on a winning team, as the Giants went 9-7-1 and beat the Vikings in the wild-card round before losing to the Eagles.
That performance and contribution to the win convinced the Giants to sign Barkley to a multi-year contract, but they were unable to reach an agreement during the 2022 bye week and after that season. The Giants placed a $10.1 million franchise tag on Barkley, which he played on after Barkley rejected a contract that would have given him nearly $23 million guaranteed over two years.
In 2023, Barkley missed three games with an ankle sprain and ran for 962 yards, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. He scored four touchdowns, tying his career high. The production wasn’t enough to convince the Giants that Barkley was worth paying more than their previous best offer.
Without Barkley, the Giants will need to restock their running back room. The only returning player with any experience is 2023 fifth-round pick Eric Gray, who made just 17 rushing attempts as a rookie and failed when assigned the punt returner job. .
