Eagles fans troll Giants after Saquon Barkley torches Commanders

"That feels amazing," Barkley said as Eagles supporters chanted. "It feels amazing. Last year was a tough year for me mentally." 

The Giants selected Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, and the two sides engaged in contract negotiations from the fall of 2022 until the club signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year contract that allowed Big Blue to retain Barkley's rights for 2023 via the non-exclusive franchise tag. Barkley later teased that he could sit games out but instead played for the Giants last season on an adjusted tag, and New York ultimately finished the campaign at 6-11. 

By all accounts, the Giants and Barkley never came close to reaching an agreement before he hit the open market in March. He then inked a three-year, $37.75M contract that could be worth up to $46.75M with $26M fully guaranteed to join the Eagles early into free agency and has since emerged as a legitimate Offensive Player of the Year Award candidate who, per the StatMuse website, leads the NFL this season with 1,347 total yards from scrimmage. 

Meanwhile, the Giants are 2-8 and may be less than two months away from team co-owner John Mara parting ways with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. Additionally, many expect the Giants won't play Jones again this season so that they can release him in March 2025. 

Mara made it clear during the "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants" program that he didn't love losing Barkley to any team, let alone to the division-rival Eagles. Before Philadelphia fans taunted the Giants in front of a worldwide audience, it was said that New York may have to earn at least three more wins through Week 18 for Schoen and Daboll to remain in their jobs for another year. 

While numerous analysts have defended Schoen for realizing a rebuilding team shouldn't sign a veteran running back to a lucrative long-term deal, Mara having second thoughts about Barkley not finishing his prime with the Giants could be enough for the owner to blow things up and give Bill Belichick a call come January.