Cross-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux shared in January 2024 that he felt the New York Giants ought to’ve locked working again Saquon Barkley down by way of a brand new contract earlier than the membership signed quarterback Daniel Jones in March 2023. Thibodeaux and others later watched as Barkley joined the rival Philadelphia Eagles final offseason, serving to them attain Tremendous Bowl LIX.
Understandably, Thibodeaux is amongst New York gamers feeling blended feelings as Barkley and the Eagles put together to face the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs this Sunday.
“I hate the Eagles, man,” Thibodeaux lately informed Paul Schwartz of the New York Submit. “However on a private stage, tremendous happy with Saquon, tremendous happy with what he’s been capable of do. I feel everyone has their personal trials and tribulations and mountains to climb, and he’s been climbing his, so positively, I’m not rooting for the Eagles, however I’m rooting for him.”
Quite a few analysts, reporters and followers have taken shots on the Giants for letting Barkley attain free company roughly 11 months in the past. Whereas Large Blue ended the season at 3-14, Barkley will enter Thursday night time’s NFL Honors as a finalist for the AP Offensive Participant of the Yr and regular-season Most Invaluable Participant Awards. The 27-year-old, a part of only one playoff win throughout his Giants tenure from 2018-2023, may hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy whereas sporting Eagles inexperienced as quickly as Sunday night time.
“I’m happy with Saquon,” Giants extensive receiver Jalin Hyatt informed Scott Thompson of Fox Information Digital this week. “Once I got here in as a rookie when he was right here [with the Giants in 2023], he was like a giant bro for me. Serving to me by the power, serving to me by performs on the sector. Simply actually being a frontrunner for me, and I’ve a lot respect for him for that. Simply to see what he’s doing over there with the Eagles, I’m actually not stunned what he’s doing. He’s a particular participant. I am positively going to be rooting for him for positive for what he can do. I’m simply happy with him.”
Before Week 18 of this season, unnamed players publicly acknowledged that they felt “Barkley’s presence within the locker room was underestimated by the Giants’ brass” when common supervisor Joe Schoen determined to not match Barkley’s contract requests. Barkley may now cement himself as the best offseason acquisition in Eagles historical past by main the group to a championship, maybe because the MVP of the upcoming Tremendous Bowl.
“It’s robust as a result of all of us perceive it is a enterprise,” Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke informed Schwartz. “The satisfaction and love we have now for being a New York Large, on the finish of the day we have now a group proprietor, we have now a common supervisor, we have now lots of people within the finance division upstairs who take care of the numbers exterior of the Xs and Os of soccer. So there may be that side of it. Now we have a number of love and respect for Saquon, for the management he confirmed when he was a Large and the performs that he made.”
Debates about whether or not or not Schoen ought to’ve prevented Barkley from hitting the open market final March may proceed lengthy after this Sunday’s sport concludes. For now, all Okereke and his present teammates can do is marvel what may’ve been had the Giants given Barkley extra assist over the primary six seasons of his profession.
