Saquon Barkley Runs All Over Former Team After Being Showered By Pre-Game Boos
Saquon Barkley responded to the New York Giants letting him walk this offseason, by running all over his former team on Sunday.
Now wearing Philadelphia Eagles green, Barkley reunited with the G-Men for a Week 7 face-off, and Barkley played with a vengeance: rushing for 177 yards (10.4 yards per rush) and a touchdown.
Barkley's revenge game went as expected, with Philly routing New York, 28-3.
Going to the longtime rival of his former team seemed like a direct jab by Barkley, aimed at the Giants for not offering him a long-term contract extension after being New York's former No. 2 overall draft pick.
Barkley has played the PR game wisely, even throwing cold water on Week 7 as a "revenge" game.
But Barkley ran angry on Sunday, likely nudged by his former team's lack of commitment and Giants fans' pre-game boos at MetLife Stadium. At one point, Saquon put Giants safety Dane Belton on his back after lowering his shoulder and plowing his former teammate.
Barkley's motivated performance helped put the Giants away early. Backup quarterback Drew Lock stepped in for Giants' Daniel Jones with almost 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
"I know I was getting booed, but as a competitor that's the stuff you live for...it's all love," Barkley said after the game.
As if Giants fans weren't already bitter about him leaving for a rival, Sunday's game surely added more fuel to the discourse in New Jersey regarding the decision to let Barkley walk.
During the game, longtime Eagles lineman Jason Kelce pushed back on Giants fans' ill feelings toward their former star RB.
"For the life of me, I don’t understand why Giants fans hate Saquon for what happened, and not the Giants organization for the fact he is an Eagle," Kelce posted on X.
"They have absolutely no one to blame other than the Giants ownership and management decisions for why he is no longer a Giant. Obviously, understand their hate of the Eagles, and desire for him not to succeed, just very odd this energy is directed at him more so than the organization."
Assuredly, Barkley will torment his former team whenever he gets the chance.
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com