Former New York Giant Tiki Barber has stated that running back Saquon Barkley could ruin his Giants' legacy with a controversial move in free agency.
The Giants and Barkley have not agreed on a new deal. As it stands, Barkley will be a free agent when the market opens on Monday.
Over the last two days, rumours have linked Barkley with a move to the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley grew up in Pennsylvania and played for the Penn State Nittany Lions at college.
In 2016, Barkley confirmed that his close friends and family are Eagles fans. However, the Eagles and Giants share one of the NFL's most volatile rivalries.
Games between the cross-border rivals are fraught and incredibly physical. Barkley has become the face of the Giants since 2018. A move to Philadelphia may be unthinkable.
But the Eagles need a running back, and it seems the Giants are happy to move on without Barkley. Barber said on his WFAN New York radio show, "I still want him here. The last thing I want him to do is go anywhere else. But I'm not even saying his name if he goes to Philadelphia. I might not say his name again."
Barber continued, "The fact that Saquon would even contemplate playing for THAT team in Philadelphia is insulting to his Giant history and legacy. Go to Baltimore. Go to Houston. Do not go to the Philadelphia Eagles. If you do, our appreciation and respect for you will go."
Barkley's party and the Eagles are said to have mutual interest. Will Barkley cross state lines and turn his back on the Giants? An answer could reveal itself when free agency opens.
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