Nick Sirianni has his comeback ready for whenever Giants fans irritate the Eagles’ head coach during the 2024 season — and for two years after that, too.
“You know sometimes you see Giants fans around here with it being so close, and, you know, they give me a good, like, ‘Hey, go Giants,’” Sirianni told reporters Tuesday at OTAs. “And I typically let it go, but if the guy gets me good enough, I usually say, ‘You know, we got your best player.’”
Running back Saquon Barkley, who signed a three-year deal with the Eagles in free agency, spent the first six years of his career with the Giants.
There were plenty of negotiations dating back to the 2022 season to try and keep the former No. 2 overall pick with the Giants for the rest of his career — a sentiment Barkley echoed when asked about it in the past.
But after getting franchise-tagged and eventually signing a one-year deal for the 2023 campaign, Barkley departed for the Giants’ NFC East rivals on the first day of free agency, joining an offense that includes QB Jalen Hurts and star wideout A.J. Brown.
“I had visions back of like, him on the sideline and us watching all these plays on the sideline of Saquon making somebody miss and Saquon making somebody miss and doing it again,” Sirianni said, recalling an OTAs sequence when a Philadelphia defender missed a tackle. “… I wasn’t happy that our defensive player missed the tackle on this particular one, but I’m really happy that Saquon, that No. 26, is on our side, making the guy miss.”
Barkley rushed for 615 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games against the Eagles, according to StatMuse, including two rushing scores and 97 combined yards when the Giants defeated Philadelphia in the 2023 season finale — and snapped a five-game losing streak — in what turned out to be his final game with the organization.
Barkley and the Eagles will face the Giants in Weeks 7 and 18 during the 2024 season, including a return to MetLife Stadium on Oct. 20.
“I don’t think it felt weird because of being with, obviously I was with the Giants before being with the Eagles,” Barkley told reporters earlier in OTAs. “Just I was at one place for six years and put on one jersey for six years, but it’s fun. It’s like a fresh start. I feel like a rookie again, getting to know everybody here, learn the culture, buying into the culture.
“And like you said, feel like it’s home. Finally got to a spot, and I’ve just been loving it.”