Saquon Barkley has expressed feeling undervalued and misunderstood by the Giants.
The documentary titled “Saquon” chronicles nearly five years of his life, starting from his ACL surgery in 2020 and concluding with the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in 2025 after a challenging contract negotiation period with the Giants.
This isn’t just a nostalgic look; it captures the ups and downs of his journey.
Released on Prime in conjunction with the Eagles game broadcast on Amazon, the documentary takes viewers through a range of emotions: self-doubt, frustration, and triumph.
The film mainly highlights the emotional toll of Barkley’s contract dispute with the Giants from late 2022 to early 2024.
“Everyone thinks I should just… yeah, but I can’t do that,” Barkley shared.
Despite moments where he considered taking drastic actions like requesting a trade or making controversial statements, Barkley ultimately refrained, holding onto the hope of staying with the Giants. He ended up lowering his contract demands, feeling that General Manager Joe Shane hadn’t fully engaged with him.
“I was looking to sign for $10 million or $11 million a year,” Barkley stated before eventually signing with the Eagles.
The documentary reveals several key insights. Here are five takeaways:
John Mara denied Saquon’s trade request.
In July 2023, during a moment of frustration, Barkley asked Giants owner John Mara for permission to seek a trade.
“That’s not something I’m willing to entertain,” Mara responded. “It doesn’t align with your best interests. You’re vital to this team.”
A couple of months earlier, Shane warned that ownership wouldn’t support any public trade demands Barkley considered.
Barkley was wearing a Tiki Barber jersey the game he tore his ACL.
There were public tensions between Barkley and Barber after Barber made critical comments about him.
The simmering conflict escalated before the start of the 2020 season when Barber questioned Barkley’s pass-blocking capabilities and suggested he was more suited to play like a smaller back.
Instead of making a bold statement wearing Barber’s jersey, Barkley experienced a severe injury during the game.
“I was forcing myself to perform instead of simply enjoying the game,” he recalled.
Barkley felt he misjudged by not accepting the Giants’ initial contract offer.
After rejecting the first offer from the Giants during the 2022 bye week, Barkley had an impressive outing against the Texans.
Initially, he sought to be compensated as one of the league’s top running backs, but his stance softened as negotiations progressed. The Eagles eventually offered a more lucrative deal.
“It felt absurd,” he reflected on the contract talks. “I felt disrespected during that time.”
The Eagles seemed destined for him a year ahead of time.
On March 7, 2023, the day he received a franchise tag, his daughter even joked about him joining the Eagles.
His friend James Wah also hinted that this would be his next team.
“It didn’t seem far-fetched to me at the time,” Barkley said.
He wanted to give the Giants a chance in free agency, expressing a desire to remain in New York.
When he received a text from Daniel Jones shortly before the tag deadline, he was holding his young son. Soon after, Barkley was tagged.
However, a year later, when he wasn’t tagged, he found himself with the Eagles.
Barkley acknowledges that he wouldn’t have had the same success with the Giants.
After Barkley’s remarkable season with the Eagles, fans often remarked, “He wouldn’t have achieved this here.”
Before facing the Giants for the first time in October 2024, he admitted feeling uncertain about his emotions.
“Would I have had an MVP-level season with the Giants?” he mused. “Probably not.”
In the last regular-season matchup against the Giants, where he had a chance to break a rushing record, Barkley found it satisfying to set a mark against his former team.
Reflecting on the documentary, Barkley said, “This story isn’t just about the achievements; it reflects my journey, my struggles, and the impact of the Giants on my career.”
