Super Bowl champion running back Saquon Barkley found his new NFL home with the Philadelphia Eagles after six dramatic seasons with the New York Giants, but as it turns out his run down I-95 had perhaps even more drama than we thought.
Barkley’s new documentary, “Saquon,” will be released this week on Prime when the Giants host the Eagles on “Thursday Night Football.” The New York Post has viewed “Saquon” ahead of time, and reported that Barkley actually requested a trade from New York prior to the 2023 season.
“Everyone gets to f— me over,” Barkley said in the documentary. “But I can never do what I want to do.”
In July 2023, on the final day for players hit with the franchise tag to sign long-term extensions, Barkley reportedly asked Giants owner John Mara if he could seek a trade. Mara said that wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m not going to do that,” Mara told Barkley. “That makes no sense for us. To be honest with you, it’s not going to be in your long-term best interest to do that. There’s no way that I would allow that at this point. You are too valuable to this franchise.”
Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, considered making his trade demand public or an explosive post on social media, but opted against it. Giants general manager Joe Schoen allowed Barkley’s agent to call around privately to get a sense of his market.
“You sure you think this is the right course of action?” Schoen asked Barkley. “Think about it for a little bit — the deal that was offered. We had already stretched to put you in very good company over a lot of other backs.”
Barkley didn’t get the trade or long-term deal he wanted. He eventually signed his franchise tag, which in reality was adjusted into a different-looking one-year deal. ESPN reported at the time it included $10.1 million fully-guaranteed, was worth up to $11 million with incentives and included $2 million signing bonus. That year, Barkley rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games played as the Giants went 6-11. New York could have traded Barkley at the trade deadline, but did not.
Following the 2023 season, Barkley was not tagged, and allowed to hit free agency. It was then he rushed into the open wings of the Eagles, signing a three-year, $37.75 million deal worth up to $46.75 million. In his first season with Philly, Barkley recorded the most rushing yards in a single season, including playoffs, with 2,504. He won NFL Offensive Player of the Year as the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX. The Giants on the other hand went 3-14.