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Saquon Barkley reveals why he was 'fed up' with Giants
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Saquon Barkley reveals why he was 'fed up' with Giants

Running back Saquon Barkley decided to jump sides in the NFC East this offseason, joining the Eagles following six years with the Giants.

In May, the former No. 2 overall pick made it seem like New York never offered him a new deal before signing his three-year, $37.75 million contract with Philadelphia.

"Let me educate some of you fans here...I can't bail or become a traitor if I never got an offer to come back," Barkley posted on platform X. "So I went to the organization I felt that was the best and after already being here for a month man I'm excited to be a eagle! Go birds."

Barkley has since shed more light on the situation and said the final straw was during a phone call with general manager Joe Schoen, who said he planned to let Barkley test the market to find his worth.

"I was a little fed up, to be honest," Barkley said on The Athletic's "Scoop City" podcast. "It felt like the only way the Giants wanted me (was) if I was able to go show my worth to someone. Like, I (had) to go prove that a team would want to pay me, so then, maybe, they would want to pay me."

Barkley had a right to be upset. He was what made the Giants offense go the past six seasons, rushing for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns while also reeling in 288 catches for 2,100 yards and 12 touchdowns.

That is why he felt insulted that New York still wanted him to prove his worth.

"I kind of felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest. Because it's kind of like a slap in the face," Barkley added. "It was over after that phone call."

The two-time Pro Bowler didn't reveal the specifics of what the Giants were willing to offer him but noted that it didn't include the same level of guarantees he wanted.

"I never felt like we really got a fair negotiation," Barkley finished. "Joe, he made a comment that (negotiations) took 10 years off his life. It took 10 years off your life? What do you think it did for me?"

Barkley's career didn't end how New York likely imagined it would and now he'll have a little extra motivation when he faces his former team twice a year for the next few seasons.

Aaron Becker

Aaron Becker is a Pittsburgh-based sports journalist, primarily covering the NFL and college football. He previously worked for the Kansas City Chiefs (2021-22), Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-21) and University of Pittsburgh (2018-19). Becker has a B

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