Eagles RB Saquon Barkley discusses his Giants departure

NFL RB Saquon Barkley Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley admits regrets about Giants departure

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 3/14/24

Star running back Saquon Barkley was officially introduced to reporters as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday and he used that news conference to address the way he left the New York Giants after spending his first six NFL seasons with the organization.

"The Giants fans that were hurt by me leaving, I got nothing but love and respect for all those guys and all those ladies," Barkley said, as shared by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post and Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "For the last six years, they’ve been great to me and my family, created so many memories. I think I could’ve given a proper goodbye. Once I announced, things kind of got hectic."

After it was reported early into the NFL's legal tampering portion of free agency that Barkley and the Eagles had agreed to a three-year, $37.75M contract that could be worth up to $46.75M with $26M fully guaranteed at signing, he took to social media to share a brief message about his decision:

Thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support over the past 6 years… forever grateful! Excited for the next chapter ✌
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024

— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024

Barkley and Giants legend Tiki Barber generated plenty of headlines with a back-and-forth related to the 27-year-old joining New York's hated division rival. Barber previously warned Barkley about tarnishing "his Giant history and legacy" and the current CBS Sports NFL analyst and WFAN radio host later joked that Barkley was "dead" to him and to Giants fans. Barkley found no humor in the matter and claimed Barber had "been a hater since [he] got to New York."

The two-time Pro Bowl selection took a different approach on Thursday.

"I’m forever grateful for the Giants fans and so thankful for them," Barkley said. "But unfortunately, the NFL is a business, and I was able to get to a place where I know I can compete and know I can win."

Barkley first became a national name during his time with the Penn State Nittany Lions and played in a total of two playoff games with the Giants. Both of those contests occurred in January 2023, the same year the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

While the Giants finished this past season at 6-11, 11-6 Philadelphia qualified for the playoffs.

"Watching from afar, everything that they’re about, the culture here, the fans here, definitely got super excited about it," Barkley said about relocating from the Big Apple to the City of Brotherly Love. "I'm just happy to be a part of this organization, and I’m ready to go."

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