Philadelphia Eagles Running back Saquon Barkley did not object to appearing on HBO's “Hard Knocks” despite not knowing his phone call with New York Giants general manager Joe Sean was being recorded.
But Barkley seemed to have issues with how the negotiations were being portrayed in the media.
During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Tuesday, Barkley said he didn't have an issue with his portrayal during the Giants' “Hard Knocks” season. The issue, he said, was that details of his negotiations were leaked to the media “the year before.”
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streacher/Imagn Images)
“You get numbers coming out saying, 'Saquon turned down this, Saquon turned down that,' and some of the numbers are correct, but it's only part of the truth, not the whole truth, it's just the truth distorted to make a certain guy look bad,” he said.
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Barclay hinted at suspicions about who might have leaked the information but did not name anyone specifically.
“If you and I are having this conversation and we're talking about numbers and it's made public that this number was said, then I know for sure that if it was just you and I having this conversation and I didn't say it, then it definitely came from you.”
In addition to the leak, Berkeley, despite reports at the time, Giants They weren't true championship contenders for him after he became a free agent.
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)
According to HBO's “Hard Knocks,” the Giants general manager has pleaded with Saquon Barkley to make the final decision with the team in free agency.
“I guess for me, it was weird because so much of it was about me,” he said. “I was like, 'Okay, they're just using my name,' because, really, I only had one phone call with Joe. [the episode]… And my agent probably talked to him a couple of times. But in this respect, in my life, the reality is, the Giants were kind of a non-option from the beginning, all the way through when I was in negotiations for the second time or when I became a free agent.”
The call Barkley was referring to was the infamous phone call where Sean assured the veteran running back that the Giants would allow him to try out as a free agent and that he would contact him if an offer came in.
“Can you commit to me on that or are you just not going to give us a chance?” Sean asked Barkley over the phone.
Barkley responded, “What do you mean, come back? I mean, I already told you where I want to be…”
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley leaves the field after a win against the Green Bay Packers at Neo Quimica Arena on Sept. 7, 2024 in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
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Berkley added that he has no problem with the call airing, but learned the call was included in the season through a trailer for the show.
“I'm not upset about it,” he said. “It's part of the business.”
Barkley will return to MetLife Stadium for the first time since joining the division rivals when the Giants host the Eagles on Oct. 20.
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