Saquon Barkley was officially introduced as the newest member of the Eagles on Thursday, but made sure to give Giants fans a proper goodbye after admittedly not handling it the way he would have liked immediately after signing a three-year deal with Philly.
“I got nothing but love and respect for all those guys, all those ladies and just the fans,” Barkley said. “The last six years, they were great to me and my family. Created so many memories.
“I don’t really think I handled it the right way on social media. I think I could have given a proper goodbye. Once I announced it, everything kind of got hectic.”
Barkley posted a quick thank you on X (formerly known as Twitter) after news broke of the signing, but the running back wanted to make sure he gave a more fitting farewell to the only fanbase he had known as an NFL player, until now.
“I’m forever grateful for the Giants fans and so thankful for them,” Barkley said. “But unfortunately, the NFL is a business, and I was able to get to a place where I know I can compete and know I can win.”
Barkley noted the ability to remain close to home and to join a franchise that considers its 11-6 finish “a down year” reasons as to why he chose the Eagles, and of course the contract that could make him the second-highest paid running back ever.
“Watching from afar, everything that they’re about, the culture here, the fans here, definitely got super excited about it,” Barkley said. “I'm just happy to be a part of this organization, and I’m ready to go.”