The Giants never offered Saquon Barkley, so they made his decision easy. It was a business decision that made sense for each of them. No one should be mad at the Giants, and no one should be mad at Barkley. (But by early reactions, a lot of people are.)
No one should have been surprised by the news. On Monday afternoon – Day 1 of NFL Free Agency – Saquon Barkley parted ways with the Giants to sign a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants didn’t seem interested in resigning Barkley, and Barkley wants to get paid what he’s worth in the market. Last season, when the Giants tagged him, it seemed like a foregone conclusion, and Barkley vented his frustration about it all. Now, frustrations are coming the other way. WFAN afternoon drivetime producer Shaun Morash called out Barkley for being a traitor. WFAN’s Tiki Barber did the same, saying he’s dead to him. Many fans are echoing that sentiment.
Those reactions expose foolishness. Expecting Barkley to resign with the Giants for less than his market value is unrealistic, if not delusional.
Most employees like to be valued and appreciated by their employers. In Barkley’s case, Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll never appreciated him. They favored underachieving quarterback Daniel Jones by giving him an extension and never offered Barkley. That’s reality.
The Eagles valued Barkley and are paying him what they and he believe is a fair market value. So, I am not sure what part of this your average Giants fan doesn’t understand here. But that isn’t to say the Giants did the wrong thing. They had a plan, and they were going to stick to it. On Monday, the Giants allocated their money elsewhere by signing edge rusher Brian Burns with a five-year contract worth $150 million after acquiring him for this year’s second-round pick (No. 39 overall) and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
The Giants made the best business decision for them, and Barkley made the best business decision for himself. It’s really that simple.
For any Giants bobo who says Barkley should have shown loyalty because the Giants took a chance on him by drafting him second overall in 2018, they need to understand that loyalty is a two-way street. Why should Barkley show loyalty when Schoen decided not to bring him back?
The bottom line? No one should be mad at the Giants or Barkley. It was a business decision that made sense for both of them.
