This is the situation New York Giants owner John Mara dreaded.
Saquon Barkley is returning to MetLife Stadium as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Set to play his first career game against the Giants, Barkley admitted Wednesday he’s still uncertain of what Sunday’s showdown at MetLife Stadium will mean to him, but he’s positive he has nothing to prove to his old squad.
“Nah. I do know my mindset on that: I don't have to prove anything to them,” Barkley told reporters in front of his locker. “I'm thankful for the opportunity for this organization –(owner) Jeffrey (Lurie) to (general manager) Howie (Roseman), to everybody getting me here. So that’s the people I gotta prove it to – and my teammates – and at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning, whether I go have 300 yards or if I have 10 yards. As long as we win, I don't really have that big of a pride or ego that if I go out there and ball, I'm looking at those guys over like, 'Look at what you guys let go.'”
Barkley has proven himself to still be one of the top tailbacks in the NFL this season, as evidenced by his 114.8 scrimmage yards per game this season, which is fourth in the league. He’s rushed for 482 yards and scored five touchdowns, as well.
This is a game that’s been circled on the calendar since the spring, though, when Barkley departed Gotham for the archrival Eagles on a three-year, $37.8 million pact.
Selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley played six seasons for the Giants, earning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and a pair of Pro Bowl selections. He was beloved by the fanbase and ownership. However, his past two seasons were rocky ones, with him being franchise tagged ahead of the 2023 campaign before signing a reworked one-year deal and unable to work out an extension ahead of this year. The process for the latter played out on HBO Hard Knocks’ first-ever offseason offering. Included in the drama was Mara memorably saying he’d “have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia.”
He did. And here we are. Barkley will play at MetLife for the first time as an Eagle on Sunday.
In the history of the stadium, no player has rushed for more yards than Barkley’s 2,601, according to NFL Research. Locked in that yardage total might well be a bad omen for Barkley. He ran for 2,600 yards in Giants home games, but was held to 1 yard on 13 carries on the road against the New York Jets in Week 10 of the 2019 season.
Sunday will stand as his second road game at MetLife.
Just what it will mean to him and his career he’s still wondering about himself.
"I don’t know,” he said. “I’m still processing that, I guess. I'm going to treat it the same [way] I always treat it. I always have the mindset every game’s important, every game is special; you never know when your last one is going to be.
"Obviously, there is some history there, for sure. Especially going back there, it will be interesting. I don't have an exact answer – I'll probably have a better answer later in the week.”
As Barkley openly jostles with his emotions, he’s aiming for them to fuel him and not cloud his focus and preparation.
" Obviously, I'll be locked in and focused, but I don't want to make it more than what it’s not,” he said. “I've done that before and I didn't like the outcome of that. It's going to be a fun environment. It's football, I love being part of something like that, especially being part of the history of these two teams going against each other, especially in this division. It's a big game, so I'm excited for that."
Regardless of records, Eagles-Giants is always big because of the history, the markets and the spotlights they bring. But this is the Saquon game, having been built up since long before the season even kicked off. The greeting he gets from his former home fans will be a story, just as much as the postgame handshakes with former coaches and teammates will be.
“I mean, I guess, I said I don’t expect to get booed. I was meaning more, like, this rivalry is so much bigger than what happened in the offseason between me and the Giants with 'Hard Knocks'” he said. “It's been going on for a very long time, so I've been on the other side, I know how Giants fans feel. I don't know what the environment is going to be like, but I'm excited. As a player, as a competitor, you gotta welcome those environments, those moments. Whatever it is, hopefully it gives me a little extra juice and I can go out there and perform and help my team win."
Barkley has been a boon for the 3-2 Eagles so far, but he is coming off his worst game of the season. It was an 18-carry, 47-yard showing in a win over the Cleveland Browns. He’ll line up against some familiar faces this Sunday who will no doubt look to hold him in check as the Browns did, and the 2-4 Giants are 10th in total defense this season. Not to mention, he’ll be facing off against the Giants in a scenario he didn’t see coming, one in which he'll be able to see the NFC East rivalry from both sides.
“If you had asked me this question a year or two ago, I probably never expected to be on this side of it,” Barkley said when asked what it felt like to be on each side of the rivalry. “But I think it’s cool, it’s fun.”
As Barkley aims for a win and struggles with his emotions, there is the constant of no ill will.
He doesn’t have to prove himself to his old team, nor is he bringing any hatred with him to the ballgame.
“It's no hate over there," he said, "but at the same time, I do know it's a big game, it's an important game, it's a division rival, and I'm going in there locked in and do the best I can to help us win the game."