Saquon Barkley understands Giants fans being upset about his seismic shift from New York to Philadelphia, but a certain voice feeding into the fiery fallout was something else to wrap his head around.
During an appearance Wednesday on the “New Heights” podcast, Barkley — who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Giants before agreeing to a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles — addressed his tense back and forth with former Giants running back Tiki Barber, with Philadelphia’s new weapon pondering if the now-retired pro could have used his platform differently.
“I love seeing NFL guys, I love seeing OGs, I love seeing you guys, you have a platform, this is a place where you know ball, you can talk, you can educate fans,” Barkley said of the podcast’s hosts, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and newly retired Eagles center Jason Kelce.
“Maybe use that time to show, ‘Maybe this is why Saquon is going to Philly’ … the business side of it, use that to show, I’m not saying you got to have loyalty to me because I don’t care for that, to be honest, but you are an ex-NFL player, an ex-NFL athlete, don’t feed into the B.S., let fans do that, they’re supposed to do that, they’re emotional.”
Barkley, who was selected No. 2 overall by the Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft, was in the crosshairs of Giants fans in the wake of his Eagles signing, with Barber — who spent his 10-year NFL career in New York — stating on his WFAN show, “You’re dead to us,” remarks he later said were “tongue in cheek.”
Barkley, 27, then fired off two messages at Barber, 48, on X, fueling an unexpected back-and-forth.
“I’ve been retired for 17 years, 18 years. I am now in the media,” Barber said on his WFAN show earlier this month. “The fact that my emotional reaction responding to you going to the Philadelphia Eagles, which is, by the way, the voice of a lot of Giants fans, I’d say the majority of Giants fans, and you’re going to come back and talk about something from 17 years ago that you don’t even understand or are misrepresenting? That’s fine, be that way then. I like Saquon Barkley. By the way, saying dead to me was basically tongue in cheek, but it is what it is. Get offended.”
On Wednesday’s installment of “New Heights,” Barkley spoke about why his signing has Big Blue supporters “torn.”
“Honestly, if fans wouldn’t be mad that I went from New York to Philly, that means I did nothing when I was in New York, whether on the field or off the field, that means I made an impact at some point, that’s the reason why fans were so torn apart about it. I see my jersey getting burned, my family’s getting threats, my house, I see that part of it,” Barkley said.
Despite the turmoil engulfing his departure, Barkley issued a heartfelt message to Giants fans, who will “forever hold a place in my heart.”
“The last three days have been a whirlwind of emotions, but I wanted to take a minute and acknowledge all the Giant fans that have supported me and my family over the last six years,” Barkley posted on social media.
“When I was drafted here I wanted my impact off the field to rival the accomplishments we had on it, and I can only hope that I came close to doing that. I’m forever grateful to the Mara and Tisch family and the wonderful people working in the Giants organization. The fans in New York and New Jersey will forever hold a place in my heart.
“Ultimately the NFL is a business, and I hope that everyone can respect my decision.”
Through six seasons in New York, Barkley tallied 5,211 yards on 1,201 receptions and 35 touchdowns.
He was named to two Pro Bowls and reached the postseason in 2022, with the Giants advancing to the Divisional Round before being knocked out by his new team, the Eagles.