It is rare that NFL franchises badly misjudge a player’s value after he’s been on the team for a while. In recent times, names like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady come to mind, who went on to win Super Bowls with their next teams.
But the New York Giants might have suffered a similar fate this season. Whether the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl or not, their fumbling of Saquon Barkley has been something to behold. And even former legends aren’t willing to let them live it down.
New York Giants Catch Strays for the Saquon Barkley Situation
Barkley was revolutionary when he first joined the New York Giants. As a rookie, he tallied over 1,300 yards, winning OROY and a Pro Bowl selection. However, his numbers continued to fluctuate, and injuries hindered his cause.
He had a brief uptick in 2022 when he once again crossed 1,300 yards and the Giants made the playoffs. But the team decided to extend quarterback Daniel Jones and hold steady on Barkley. Now, Jones has been cut from the team, and the franchise is drafting in the top 10 in back-to-back seasons.
Barkley, on the other hand, is on his way to history. Through 16 games in Year 1 with the Eagles, he tallied 2,005 rushing yards, becoming only the ninth player in league history to cross the elusive 2,000-yard mark. Sitting out in Week 17 might have been the only thing that saved Eric Dickerson’s single-season record.
To put it simply, the Giants have been a victim of ugly mismanagement. This has led Michael Strahan, a 15-year veteran of the team who set the league record for most sacks in a season — and a Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl champion — to criticize them in a roundabout way.
Michael Strahan thanks New York Giants for letting Saquan and Xavier McKinney go in free agency lol pic.twitter.com/htqJqMitmy
— Anthony Greaves24☕️🏈🛫🦁 (@AGreaves22) January 12, 2025
Speaking about Barkley on the NFL’s pregame show, Strahan said, “Thank you, Giants,” who let him walk alongside first-team All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney to the Green Bay Packers.
As a rebuild is underway in New York, the Giants have to consider their past few seasons a colossal failure from a player evaluation and contract management standpoint. It remains to be seen if things can improve in the future, but they do have some excellent building blocks like Malik Nabers at their disposal.