Saquon Barkley defended Daniel Jones after Giants exit: 'One of the best quarterbacks in the league'

Even before Saquon Barkley helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl in his first season with the organization, some members of the NFL community criticized the New York Giants for letting the running back reach free agency in March 2024 after the club paid quarterback Daniel Jones the previous offseason. 

For a lengthy article published on Thursday, Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated revealed how Barkley defended Jones "to members of his inner circle" as the two began their journeys down different career paths. Barkley also believes Jones is "one of the best quarterbacks in the league."

"My loyalty, in those conversations about Daniel, is to the game," Barkley told Sports Illustrated. "I don’t see [backing Jones] as being loyal. If I thought he was trash, I’d say he’s not good. It’s not like I’m blowing smoke. I was around him. I know the work he put in. Did he struggle at times? Yeah, we all did there. But you see a lot of guys — and this isn’t a knock on the Giants, it’s not just that organization — but all around you see guys who may be at one place and struggle, and they go to another place and thrive."

Barkley isn't the first person to suggest the Giants failed Jones on numerous occasions, both before and after the 2019 first-round draft pick guided the club to a road playoff win in January 2023. While the two have remained close friends, it's worth mentioning that the Giants signing Jones to a four-year contract in March 2023 is one reason general manager Joe Schoen didn't want to match the three-year, $37.75M contract that could be worth up to $46.75M with $26M fully guaranteed that Barkley received from the Eagles the following March. 

Barkley proved to be worth every penny for the Eagles, as he led the NFL with 2,283 total yards from scrimmage last season en route to earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award honors. He now possesses a Super Bowl ring, while Jones went 3-13 over his final 16 starts with the Giants before those two sides parted ways last November. 

Jones now has an opportunity to revive his career while serving as the Indianapolis Colts' new QB1. Meanwhile, Giants fans may forever wonder what could have been had the club given Barkley and not Jones a multiyear contract following the 2022 campaign.