Head coach of the New York Giant, Brian Daboll spoke out on Saquon Barkley’s choice to leave the team and go with the Philadelphia Eagles, a move that infuriated a lot of Giants supporters.
Following his contentious trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach of the New York Giants Brian Daboll had nothing but kind things to say about Saquon Barkley.
Barkley got a three-year contract with the Eagles, allegedly earning £30 million, after leaving the Giants. After months of talks, Barkley was now playing twice a year against his former team, and the Giants were unwilling to give him a new contract.
Some Giants supporters were incensed with Barkley after he decided to sign with the Eagles, despite Barkley’s declaration that he wanted to stay with the franchise for life. But Coach Daboll has not reciprocated those thoughts.
In his first interview since Barkley left the team, Daboll told reporters:
“This is what it is every year in the NFL. You meet great people, whether it’s coaches, players, staff members, and unfortunately everybody doesn’t stick together the entire time, it’s not what it was 30, 40 years ago.”
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Saquon and all the players that went on to other places. It’s a special group when you’re going through an NFL season, you’ve got to go through ups and downs. Wish him all the best, except when he is playing against the Giants.”
Following Barkley’s departure from the Giants, fans and former players had strong opinions. One former Giants great, Tiki Barber, informed Barkley, “You’re dead to me.”
On social media, Barkley retaliated against Barber by writing, “@TikiBarber lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team,” but he later deleted the message. This concerned Barber’s 2006 departure from the Giants to work as a TV analyst.
Barkley will now play alongside Jalen Hurts as the primary running back for one of the best rushing units. After retiring, Jason Kelce was a vital member of the Eagles’ offensive line. However, Cam Jurgens appears prepared to take over after offering reliable depth over the previous two seasons.
Barkley, who is 27 years old, has returned to his best form recently after dealing with injuries throughout the Giants’ season, which saw problems from one of the league’s weakest offensive lines.