Giants RB Saquon Barkley again backs Joe Judge despite poor record

Back in the middle of December, New York Giants ball-carrier Saquon Barkley backed head coach Joe Judge and insisted the team has "bought in" to what Judge has been selling over the past two seasons. That, however, was before the Giants suffered three additional double-digit losses to fall to 4-12 on the campaign, and before Judge offered a passionate yet curious rant about his team and its "culture" that he defended earlier this week. 

Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Barkley spoke with the media Thursday ahead of Sunday's merciful season-finale against the Washington Football Team and again went to bat for his coach. 

"He said things he felt and he believes in and that a lot of players in the locker room believe in too...This place is going in the right direction," Barkley said. "It may not look that way now from the outside, but internally we know what we have here." 

Judge is 10-22 overall as Giants head coach, and both he and Barkley may find themselves working elsewhere by this point next year. Barkley is about to enter the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract and has largely lacked the explosiveness he displayed before he missed the majority of the 2020 season due to a torn ACL. The Giants may feel a parting of the ways could benefit Judge and/or Barkley this offseason or next fall before the trade deadline.