After six seasons with the New York Giants, Saquon Barkley left the team last offseason in free agency. He signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, and many questioned whether the franchise should have invested such a large amount of money in a 27-year-old running back.
Fast forward to 11 months after Barkley arrived in Philadelphia, and the Eagles are set to play in the Super Bowl. He had a historic rookie season, and the star running back will be talked among the best free-agency signings in the league for years to come.
The Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 9, but Barkley had some time to talk about his former team before the biggest game of his career. Unsurprisingly, the Giants fans on social media didn’t take it well.
Giants Fans React to Saquon Barkley’s Comments on His Former Team
Jameis Winston asked Barkley about which team he should sign for in free agency, and the Eagles star suggested the Giants, as they need a quarterback. The Giants fans on social media didn’t like Barkley taking a subtle dig at his former team and called him out.
I hate Saquon Barkley https://t.co/ZsEyfVzhKM
— Marshall Green (@MarshallGreen_) February 4, 2025
“Your downfall is prayed upon daily,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “Hope he loses on Sunday.”
Saquon try not to mention the giants for a week challenge #impossible
— Swish (@swishxvibes) February 4, 2025
Another Giants fan added, “The week of the biggest game of his life, and he still wants our attention.”
“ why do giants fans keep mentioning saquon any chance they get” saquon:
— swerv (@swervooooooo1) February 4, 2025
New York does need a new quarterback, as the franchise cut Daniel Jones this past season, but they will likely look to get one in the upcoming NFL Draft. Winston would be an exciting fit for the Giants if they fail to get a quarterback in the draft as the former Cleveland Browns player will make sure Malik Nabers gets the ball.
Winston (2024 QB+: 65.7, 29th) will turn the ball over more times than an average quarterback, but if the Giants don’t get a rookie quarterback and are not contending for the Super Bowl, then they should take Barkley’s advice.
Barkley Will Have To Be at His Best in the Super Bowl
Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards in the regular season and has continued his form into the playoffs. He has rushed for 442 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 147.3 rushing yards per game in the postseason for Philadelphia.
The Eagles’ offense relies heavily on Barkley, and the star running back will be required to be at his best in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs’ defense (2024 Defense+: 75.5, 14th), led by Chris Jones, has one of the best run defenses in the league, and they haven’t allowed any running back to rush over 100 yards throughout this season.
James Cook and Joe Mixon did play well against the Chiefs in the playoffs this year, but Steve Spagnuolo will be determined to slow down Barkley in the Super Bowl.
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It will be very hard for the Chiefs to shut down the Eagles’ running back completely, but if they don’t allow him to go on a back-breaking long run, there will be immense pressure on Jalen Hurts. The Eagles quarterback has faced a lot of criticism this season, but he is coming off a great performance in the NFC Championship Game.
However, the Chiefs’ defense is much better than the Washington Commanders’ (73.2, 17th), so all the Eagles players have to play their best to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl against the back-to-back champs. Mahomes and his team have a lot of experience in playing big games, so they know how to deal with the pressure, but it will be interesting to see how Barkley will fare on the biggest stage he has ever been on.
