If the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to win any sportsmanship awards, their recent chatter about the New York Giants and their former running back, Saquon Barkley, sure isn’t the way to do it.
Not long after Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni stirred the pot with his revelation of how he sometimes trolls Giants fans about how the Eagles lured the Giants’ “best player” (Saquon Barkley) away, defensive end Brandon Graham decided to follow his coach’s lead.
“We know that people are [ticked] about it,’’ Graham told the New York Post during an appearance at the St. Jude Big Daddy Golf Tournament. “They hope that nothing comes of it. I know that’s how mad some people are about it.”
Some Giants fans have accused Barkley of being a traitor after he signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with arguably the Giants’ most intense rival.
Barkley defended his decision to leave New York, claiming the Giants never made him an offer to return. However, a clip for the Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants trailer teased that something different may have occurred.
Graham gushed about his new teammate with whom the Giants amassed a 25-48-1 record in which Barkley was active.
“He’s been looking good, man,’’ Graham said. “It sucked that things went the way they did. Saquon is in a good place right now.’’
How long the Eagles’ honeymoon with Barkley lasts remains to be seen, but assuming Barkley, who, save for his rookie campaign in 2018 and the 2022 season, has missed at least three games in the other seasons, is healthy, expect an added level of intensity when the Eagles play the Giants October 20 at MetLife Stadium.
“You know how [Terrell Owens] went to Dallas and got booed?’’ Graham said. “It’s going to be one of those things. I know with [Barkley], he probably didn’t want to have to make that decision. We’re loving it because we definitely got a good player.”
