Total Pro Sports
In one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 NFL offseason, Saquon Barkley, who spent six seasons with the New York Giants, left the team and signed with their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. This unexpected move came after a series of contract disputes, financial issues, and concerns over Barkley’s lingering injuries.
Now that Barkley is thriving with the Eagles, it’s worth looking back at why he left the Giants and how his path led him to one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
The relationship between Barkley and the Giants started to sour over the years, and by the 2024 offseason, things had reached a breaking point. The main reason for his departure was that the Giants refused to meet his contract demands. Barkley had dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career, including a torn ACL in 2020 and an ankle issue in 2021, both of which took a toll on his performance. Despite that, he had a solid comeback in 2022, rushing for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns. But by 2023, injuries caught up with him again, limiting him to just 962 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns.
Despite his proven ability, the Giants chose not to offer him a long-term contract, focusing their financial resources elsewhere. Giants GM Joe Schoen made the decision to commit big money to quarterback Daniel Jones, who signed a hefty $40 million deal, rather than giving Barkley a large salary. In an interview for Hard Knocks: Offseason, Schoen explained his position, saying, “You’re paying Daniel Jones $40 million, and it’s not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back.” As a result, Barkley was placed under the franchise tag for two seasons, 2022 and 2023. But when the Giants decided against tagging him for 2024, he became a free agent.
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By the time Saquon Barkley left, he’d already made a name for himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL, and he’s always going to be remembered as one of the best to ever play for the Giants. After being drafted second overall in 2018, Barkley hit the ground running. In his rookie year, he rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Over his six years with the Giants, he ran for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns on 1,201 carries. He also added 288 catches for 2,100 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Even though injuries haunted him, Barkley was still important to the Giants’ offense. In 2022, after getting tagged for a second year in a row, he showed he had still got plenty of gas in the tank, rushing for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. While the Giants have moved forward with Devin Singletary, he hasn’t been able to replicate Barkley’s level of production. Meanwhile, Barkley’s success in Philadelphia only shows what the Giants have lost....
