When Saquon Barkley left the New York Giants, everyone was shocked—especially when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles for free. However, the running back had a plan to give his former team something in return.
In 2023, the Giants opted not to give Barkley a contract extension. He left as a free agent in the 2024 offseason and signed with the Eagles, but the story could have turned out very differently.
According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, Barkley asked the Giants to let him seek a trade in 2023. However, the club rejected his request and instead watched him leave as a free agent, receiving nothing in return.
Saquon Barkley asked the Giants to trade him, but the club rejected his request
A new documentary about Barkley is set to launch on Prime Video on Thursday. That same night, he will face the Giants for the second time since his move to the Eagles.
In the documentary, it is revealed that Barkley gave the Giants a chance to get something in return for him. Nevertheless, the front office denied his request to seek a trade and instead let him walk as a free agent a year later.
“I’m not going to do that,” Giants co-owner John Mara told Barkley back in 2023 about his trade request. “That makes no sense for us. To be honest with you, it’s not going to be in your long-term best interest to do that. There’s no way that I would allow that at this point. You are too valuable to this franchise.”
A series of unfortunate events
The Giants’ reason for not giving Barkley an extension was because they prioritized Daniel Jones. The NFC East club saw the quarterback as the team’s main need and considered the running back expendable.
Jones was released during the 2024 season and is now thriving with the Colts. Barkley won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Eagles, leaving the Giants to rue several major front-office missteps.