Saquon Barkley, mother discuss his move from Giants to Eagles ahead of Philadelphia playoff debut

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley recently trolled New York Giants co-owner John Mara via an ad released last week that referenced comments Mara made about Barkley reaching free agency in March 2024. 

Barkley again touched upon his offseason move as the 14-3 Eagles prepare to host the 11-6 Green Bay Packers in a wild-card playoff game this coming Sunday afternoon. 

"You go through stuff, whether it's injuries or contract negotiations, stuff that I didn't even realize at the time was weighing on me more than I thought because I was always trying to be this superhero and this tough guy," Barkley told Tim McManus of ESPN. "It's not easy to fight battles on your own. It's easier to do with help and it's important to surround yourself with a great team. I think you see it now, as a player I'm able to be on a great team and you're able to see what type of player I am. And that works in life, too."

The Giants made Barkley the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he routinely dealt with injury setbacks and was often the best offensive player on bad teams over his first six pro seasons. He participated in only one playoff win during his New York tenure, and he failed to secure his desired long-term contract from the fall of 2022 up until he became a free agent last March. 

Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75M deal that could be worth up to $46.75M with $26M fully guaranteed to join the Eagles and has since been worth every penny of that agreement. Per the StatMuse website, he led the NFL for the regular season with 2,283 yards gained from scrimmage. He also finished Week 18 just 101 rushing yards shy of breaking the single-campaign record after he sat the Eagles' regular-season finale out with the club locked into the No. 2 seed for the NFC portion of the playoffs.

"I see a different kind of happiness," Barkley's mother, Tonya Johnson, said about the 27-year-old while speaking with Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "And it’s because he’s very competitive. I think a lot of athletes are competitive, but Saquon is beyond competitive, and when he was playing and not winning you could see the frustration. I also think it makes you start questioning some things: 'Is this something I really want to do?' I know he’s over-the-moon happy right now."

As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Philadelphia as a 4.5-point favorite over the Packers. On paper, the 2024 Eagles are the best team Barkley has played for as a pro, and he's a big reason DraftKings Sportsbook on Tuesday had Philadelphia second among the betting favorites at +330 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.