When the New York Giants opted to pay quarterback Daniel Jones over running back Saquon Barkley, many believed it could come back to haunt them. On Monday Night Football, during the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman underscored just how poorly the Giants handled the situation. Buck remarked, “John Mara’s gotta be so sick of that clip and hearing about, ‘I’m not gonna be able to sleep if [Saquon Barkley] goes to Philly.’ Well, he’s in Philly, and he looks like one of the best running backs ever to visit this planet.”
After Buck’s comment, Aikman added his own painful observation, pointing out the full extent of the Giants’ missteps. “And they decided to keep Daniel Jones,” Aikman said. “Now, they don’t have either.” The Giants not only lost Barkley but did so because they chose to keep Jones. Had the team avoided committing to Jones with a $160 million, four-year deal, they could have used that money to secure Barkley’s future in New York. While the quarterback position is undeniably crucial, it seems especially hard to justify when the player underperformed for much of his career before being handed such a lucrative contract.
Buck and Aikman repeatedly reminded viewers of the Giants’ regret, highlighting how the team’s decision-making has backfired. The Giants’ general manager had even voiced his fears about losing Barkley to a division rival, which ultimately happened. Adding insult to injury, the quarterback the team chose to prioritize over Barkley was released just a year later after continued poor performance.
Meanwhile, Barkley is flourishing with the Philadelphia Eagles. After a dominant 255-yard performance against the Los Angeles Rams, he has racked up a league-leading 1,392 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season, averaging 126.5 yards per game—by far his best career average. His previous highest per-game rushing average was 82 yards in 2022.
Given that Barkley is now playing for the Eagles at a price of just $37.75 million over three years, it’s clear that the Giants are regretting their decisions. If they hadn’t already, Monday night’s broadcast certainly reminded them of their missteps, with Buck and Aikman taking every opportunity to emphasize the situation’s sting.
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