Saquon Barkley was 'fed up' with Giants negotiations: 'It was a little disrespectful'

The second and third installments of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants provided insight into Big Blue’s negotiations with star running back Saquon Barkley. During those interactions, it became clear that the running back was on his way out of town.

During an interview with Dianna Russini for The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast, Barkley said the conversations with Giants general manager Joe Schoen left him feeling slighted. He noted that the final straw was the phone conversation with Schoen, during which the GM said he planned to let Barkley test the market to find his worth.

“I was a little fed up, to be honest,” Barkley said of his phone call with Schoen, via Giants Wire. “It felt like the only way the Giants wanted me (was) if I was able to go show my worth to someone. Like, I (had) to go prove that a team would want to pay me, so then, maybe, they would want to pay me.”

Barkley, the face of the team since being the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, reiterated that he wanted to remain a Giant but felt insulted by the team’s stance.

“I kind of felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest. Because it’s kind of like a slap in the face,” Barkley said of Big Blue placing a value ceiling on him. “It was over after that phone call.”

The Hard Knocks replay of the situation made it clear that the Giants had a figure they never planned to go above to retain the running back. It also made apparent that Barkley had one foot out the door after the previous offseason’s debacle with the franchise tag.

“I never felt like we really got a fair negotiation,” Barkley said, noting that the 2023 offer didn’t include the same level of guarantees he sought.

Ultimately, neither side seemed ecstatic with how the process played out in New York.

“Joe, he made a comment that (negotiations) took 10 years off his life. It took 10 years off your life? What do you think it did for me?” Barkley said.

Now Barkley runs forward in Philadelphia with his new Eagles teammates. The division rivals face off for the first time in Week 7 when Philly travels to MetLife Stadium for Barkley’s first #RevengeGame against his former club.

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