Giants owner not happy to see Saquon Barkley in an Eagles jersey this year

Former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley spent the first stage of his career as the centerpiece of New York’s offense.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley became the highest-drafted running back since the New Orleans Saints drafted USC running back Reggie Bush in 2006.

In his six years in the Meadowlands, Barkley often carried a lackluster offensive roster into scoring position. Yet, Giants general manager Joe Schoen decided to put his faith in quarterback Daniel Jones rather than invest in Barkley. New York signed Jones to a monster four-year, $160 million contract in 2023, then allowed Barkley to test the free agency market this offseason.

The Philadelphia Eagles happily signed Barkley to a three-year contract, which sent shockwaves throughout the NFC East division.

Giants owner will miss the money generated by Saquon Barkley

The Giants will have plenty to miss about Barkley in 2024. Fans will miss the Bronx-native for his community work and on-field talent, teammates will miss him for his locker room leadership, and coaches will hope they don’t miss him at all. 

As for ownership, Giants owner John Mara will mostly miss the merchandising and licensing profit that Barkley generated. On HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, Mara shared his feelings about Barkley with Schoen before the Eagles signed him. 

“I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that,” Mara told Schoen. “As I’ve told you, I’ve been around enough players, but he’s the most popular player we have, by far.”

It’s a fascinating look inside of an NFL owner’s mind. Barkley was the engine of the team’s offense, but Mara seems concerned about fan perception and sales as much as anything else.

Barkley ranked No. 6 on the NFLPA’s NFL Player Sales List before his rookie season. 

He ranked No. 8 on the sales list in the following offseason. He fell to No. 18 on the list in 2020 and No. 29 during the 2021 season.

No other Giants player made it onto the list.

Barkley was named the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after he set the rookie record with 91 catches and recorded seven games with 100-plus rushing yards. 

In 2023, Barkley was responsible for 10 of the team’s 25 offensive touchdowns. He found that success behind a Giants offensive line that was ranked as the second-worst unit in the league by ESPN's run-block win rate metric. In Philadelphia, Barkley will have a much better supporting cast. The Eagles' run-blocking was graded as the best unit in the league in 2023 and the second-best unit in 2022.

Barkley will have his first chance at revenge when the Eagles face the Giants in a Week 7 matchup on October 20 at MetLife Stadium.