Saquon Barkley reveals Giants ‘never were actually in play’ during free agency

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley didn’t take issue with his phone call with New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen making the cut on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” despite not knowing it was being recorded at the time. 

But Barkley did seem to have an issue with how negotiations were being portrayed in the media. 

During Tuesday’s appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Barkley said he didn’t find his portrayal in the Giants’ season of “Hard Knocks” problematic. He said his issue was the “year prior” when details of negotiations were being leaked to the media. 

“You would get these numbers that would come out, like, ‘Saquon turned down this, and Saquon turned down that,’ and some of the numbers would be correct, but they would give you some of the truth but not the whole truth and just the truth to kind of spin it to make a certain person look bad,” he said. 

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Barkley implied his suspicions about who might have leaked the information — without naming anyone specifically. 

“If me and you are having this conversation. And we’re talking numbers. And it goes out that this number was said. And only me and you had this conversation, and I’m not the one who said it, I know it definitely came from you.” 

In addition to the leaks, Barkley revealed that despite what was reported at the time, the Giants were never true contenders in his eyes once he entered free agency. 

General manager Joe Schoen of the New York Giants speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center Feb. 27, 2024, in Indianapolis.  (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

GIANTS GM PLEADS WITH SAQUON BARKLEY TO GIVE TEAM LAST CALL IN FREE AGENCY, HBO’S ‘HARD KNOCKS’ SHOWS

“For me, it was weird, I guess, because a lot of it was about me,” he said. “It felt like, ‘All right, my name was just getting used because, in reality, it was like I had one phone call with Joe, which was the phone call that was on [the episode]. And my agent probably spoke to him a couple of times. But on this side — in my life, in reality — it was like the Giants really never were actually in play the second time for me going into negotiations or hitting free agency when they could’ve been the whole time.” 

The phone call Barkley referenced was the infamous call in which Schoen informed the veteran running back the Giants were allowing him to test free agency with the promise he would get back to them if he had an offer. 

“Can you give me your word on that, or you not going to give us a chance?” Schoen asked Barkley over the phone. 

Barkley responded, “What do you mean, like circling back? “I mean, I already told you where I want to be, so …” 

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley leaves the field after a win against the Green Bay Packers Sept. 7, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

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Barkley added he had no problem with the call being aired, but he found out from the show’s trailer it was included in the season. 

“I wasn’t upset about that,” he said. “It’s a part of the business.” 

Barkley will return to MetLife Stadium for the first time since joining the division rival when the Giants host the Eagles Oct. 20. 

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