When the Philadelphia Eagles swooped in to sign running back Saquon Barkley, the NFL felt the shockwaves. Giants fans were not happy; their star player had defected to their fiercest rival, sparking an emotionally charged exchange between Barkley and Tiki Barber, one of Big Blue's greatest players.
Former Giants, along with fans, joined the chorus, with many even burning their Barkley jerseys in protest. The move was so heated that Adam Rank of NFL Network predicts that Giants vs. Eagles will be one of the NFL's most intense revenge games of 2024.
It's like a banger to start, much like WrestleMania, which happens to be in Philadelphia this year. Tiki Barber, the former Giants running back, jokingly (or not?) declared Saquon Barkley dead to him after Barkley signed with the rival Eagles for big money. The Giants-Eagles rivalry is one of the fiercest in the NFL, so I get the reaction. However, I think it's a smart move, and Giants fans shouldn't be too mad. Saquon gave his all during his six seasons in New York, earning a big payday with a team still in its Super Bowl window (hopefully).
The Giants aren't in a position to spend big on a running back right now. On the flip side, the Eagles probably don't want their quarterback running for 15 touchdowns, so signing Barkley makes sense for them. I get it's weird to think of Saquon in an Eagles uniform, and Giants fans might be upset if he has a Christian McCaffrey-like impact with their division rival. But he's from Allentown, Pennsylvania (fine, Whitehall Township), so let the man go home. And really, if anyone's to blame, it's the team that didn't want to pay Saquon in the first place, not the player himself.
From co-owner John Mara to head coach Brian Daboll, the Giants organization has been classy about Barkley's departure, praising him and wishing him success (except in two regular season games, of course). Barkley, for his part, has handled everything with grace.
But make no mistake, Barkley wants to show the Giants what they're missing, especially with two games against them each season. He's hungry to dominate his former team, and they'll be desperate to stop him. It might seem calm leading up to those games given Barkley's class, but Giants vs. Eagles in 2024 is going to be more intense than ever.
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