Running back Saquon Barkley has been one of the best home-run hitters at the position over the last few seasons for the New York Giants.
That era could soon be coming to an end, with the Penn State product and former second-overall pick seemingly set to hit free agency in under a week. There will be plenty of suitors in need of a running back like Barkley, whose 1,200 career touches may seem like a lot, but aren’t for a 27-year-old.
There may be plenty of suitors for the Pro Bowl RB, but one team in particular seems ready to make Barkley an offer to spurn his former team.
And it’s Big Blue’s biggest rival.
Philadelphia Eagles, Saquon Barkley Have ‘Mutual Interest’
It started Thursday morning when Philadelphia Eagles sideline reporter and 94.1 WIP commentator Howard Eskin made it clear that Philadelphia had an interest in signing the former Giant to a free agent contract.
“I didn’t believe it, but I checked it, and they do have interest in Saquon Barkley,” Eskin said to the morning show team. “And I’m saying wait a minute, you can’t pay a running that kind of money…I think they’re trying to work on something that would not be fully guaranteed. He’s not going to get — a ton of money.”
Eskin has been in the Philadelphia market for a long time now and has his ear plugged into the organization. For him to come out with a report regarding the team’s interest in a running back is not something to scoff at, especially when others on the New York side agree with what he’s heard.
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post confirmed Eskin’s report stating “that interest is mutual” when talking about Barkley wanting to come to Philadelphia.
The Giants beat reporter for the Post also acknowledged the Dallas Cowboys as a potential destination as well.
As early as Tuesday, Pat Leonard, another Giants beat reporter for the New York Daily News, tied the Eagles to Barkley’s pending free agency after the organization decided against putting the franchise tag on him.
In six seasons with the Giants, Barkley has run for over 5,000 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has included over 2,000 yards receiving, 288 receptions, and 12 receiving scores.
Barkley’s balance as a pass catcher and runner makes him a commodity for most offenses. The Bronx native won Offensive Rookie of the Year back in 2018 and was a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year with New York in 2022.
That 2022 season saw Barkley set a career-high in touches and yards while leading New York to their first playoff win (a 31-24 road win over the Vikings) since the team’s most recent Super Bowl title in 2012.
In 2023, though, after dealing with contract negotiations and the franchise tag, Barkley missed three games and ran for 400 fewer yards as the Giants fell to 6-11 on the season.
Barkley’s effectiveness as a runner may be in question going into free agency for the 2024 season, but with an offensive line like the Eagles’ and a new play-caller in Kellen Moore, Philadelphia won’t need to put as much pressure on him to be an every-down player as he was with the Giants.
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Money, though, will be the biggest thing that stands in the way of Barkley coming to Philadelphia. The Eagles historically balk at paying running backs and would need the runner’s initial demands to come down significantly for a signing to take place.
That’s why, while some reports have pushed both sides to have mutual interest in each other, the chances of Barkley ending up on a different team in the NFC East could very well be determined by other organizations’ interest in the RB market.
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