Saquon Barkley apparently forgot which team he signed with this offseason.
The former Giants running back returns to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face New York for the first time as a member of the rival Eagles, but he doesn't expect boos from his former fan base.
“I don't expect a big reaction. I don't expect to be booed.” Barkley told ESPN.. “The way I look at it, the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Football Giants probably played over 200 games. This rivalry existed before me and will exist after me.”
Perhaps the key word in Berkeley's response was “expectation.” Maybe he's saying he doesn't expect boos because, in Berkeley's view, boos don't seem justified.
Barkley has been defiant about leaving the Giants on a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the rival Eagles, and has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with fan reaction on social media.
In March, he fired back at Tiki Barber after the Giants legend called Barkley “dead” when he signed with the Eagles.
“@TikiBarber lol, yeah, you're a prime example of team loyalty” Barkley I replied with X. “I got the contract I wanted and secured more GM than I've ever been given…so if the fans hate me for that, that's fine! But I'm going to turn my back on my teammates. I never turned against them, I was always on their side.”
Barkley later revealed that he was not happy about being booed while watching the Knicks vs. 76ers game in Philadelphia with new teammate AJ Brown.
“It's been 2 months…lol I still can't be this mad! Midfielders can't even go to basketball games 😂😂😂,” Barkley tweeted in May.
After one X user said that Berkeley “made bail,” he responded: “Let me tell you all the fans here…If I don't get an offer to come back, I don't bail, I'm not a traitor…So I went to my organization.'' It felt great, and I've been here for a month already and I'm excited to be an eagle! Birds🦅
“Hard Knocks” revealed an additional layer of controversy and perhaps swayed some opinion, but the reality is that Barkley signed with the one team most Giants fans were willing to reject. .
The Giants have been bullied by the Eagles for years, but Barkley is looking to earn a ring with the Eagles after only one playoff win with the Giants.
“Maybe I'm naive, but I think it's over. That chapter is over,” Barkley told ESPN before Philadelphia's Week 6 win over the Browns. “I really don't care anymore and I'm sure the fans don't care anymore either.”
Barkley again defended his position by mentioning other players in the NFL who have traded teams.
Returning to New Jersey, he rushed for 482 yards and four scores on the ground, adding 14 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.
“Nothing changes. You learn the culture. You get used to moving. I think it's because I'm a high-profile player or a well-known player in the league (gets attention), but I think it's because I'm a high-profile player or a well-known player in the league (I get attention), but I don't think it's because I'm a high-profile player or a well-known player in the league. I'm not the first player to do that,” Barkley told ESPN.
“(Cleveland linebacker) Devin Bush used to be with the Steelers. (Former Raven linebacker) Patrick Queen is now with the Steelers. (Safety) Geno Stone is with the Ravens. , now with the Bengals. …It's part of the NFL.”
