HBO’s “Hard Knocks” offered a different perspective on NFL franchises this year., The New York Giants offseason roster makeup will be fully revealed with behind-the-scenes access.
One thing NFL fans were hoping to see was what would happen with general manager Joe Sean and running back Saquon Barkley, who ultimately chose to join the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency rather than return to New York.
The moment was recreated in the second episode of the series, when Shawn called Barkley and his agent, Ed Berry, to discuss the team’s decision to allow him to hit the free agent market.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley speaks during a press conference after signing with the team. (Kyle Ross – USA Today Sports)
But Sean was hopeful Barkley would commit to making the Giants his final pick in free agency.
“Are you going to commit to that or are you just not going to give us a chance?” Sean reportedly asked Barkley in a phone call after speaking with Berry.
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There seemed to be tension in the air during the fun parts of the call, but it was palpable when Barkley answered.
“So you’re coming back?” he asked Sean, to which Sean simply replied, “Yeah.”
“I mean, I already told you where I want to go,” Barkley said.
Barkley had repeatedly said prior to the call that he wanted to be a lifelong Giant, and Sean was seen speaking with assistant GM Brandon Brown during the show, with franchise legend being part of his pitch to Barkley.
New York Giants general manager Joe Sean speaks to the media during the 2024 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Stacey Revere/Getty Images)
“Hey, here’s our price. Do you want your name on here forever? Keep your name on the ring of honor for two more years? Or do you want to donate another million dollars somewhere else?” Shawn said.
Before asking for Barkley’s approval, Sean made it clear that the Giants would give him a chance to test the market this year rather than place the franchise tag on him. The move set up a fairly eventful 2023 offseason before Barkley returned last season on an incentive-laden one-year deal.
“The right thing to do is test the market and see what your value is,” Shawn said. “I don’t want to franchise. [tag] I don’t want to go through that again. We’ve both been through that. If you really want to spend your life with the Giants and are interested in coming back, see what your market is and [agent] Ed [Berry] Let’s come back and see if we can come to an agreement.”
HBO’s “Hard Knocks” featured a conversation between New York Giants general manager Joe Sean and free agent Saquon Barkley (right). (Getty Images)
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In the end, Barkley signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with $26 million guaranteed to move to South Philadelphia, where he’ll not only join a division contender, but also a team that is once again a playoff contender, but the Giants still have plenty of unanswered questions in 2024.
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