Another chapter has already been written in the beef between Saquon Barkley and New York Giants fans before he has even taken his first snap with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The star running back was ridiculed by Giants fans on social media on Thursday for attending and cheering on the Philadelphia 76ers in their Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks. After the game, Barkley fired back on social media and broke some news in the process. He shared that the Giants never made him an offer to return this offseason.
“Let me educate some of you fans here… I can’t bail or become a traitor if I never got an offer to come back.. so I went to the organization I felt that was the best and after already being here for a month man I’m excited to be a eagle ! Go birds,” Barkley tweeted to someone saying that he “bailed on New York.”
Prior to this offseason, the Giants seemingly wanted to keep Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, in New York for the long haul. They franchise-tagged him last offseason and tried to come to terms on a long-term deal. But that didn’t come to fruition, with Barkley signing a one-year deal.
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When this offseason began, the Eagles were rumored to be one of the favorites to sign Barkley. Sure enough, on the opening day of free agency in March, they agreed to terms on a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million guaranteed.
Barkley’s decision to leave for a divisional rival was met with instant backlash in New York. Former Giants running back Tiki Barber’s criticism of Barkley was the most notable, saying the new Eagles running back was “dead to us.”
It appears that those feelings haven’t changed.
“It’s been two months… lol no way ya can still be this mad! Mf can’t even go to a basketball game,” Barkley wrote in a social media post with a few laughing emojis.
It’s unclear if Barkley was a 76ers fan prior to signing with the Eagles, but it’d make sense if he was. After spending the early years of his childhood in The Bronx, Barkley’s family moved to Eastern Pennsylvania, living in a few different towns in the suburbs just over an hour outside of Philadelphia.
Regardless, Barkley seems excited to play for his new team.
“Side note that game was crazy lit!! Got me geeked for homes games at the linc,” Barkley wrote.
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