Former Giants Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney Set to Face Each Other in Brazil

For four seasons, safety Xavier McKinney and running back Saquon Barkley were teammates on the New York Giants, Barkley having arrived in New York as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft and McKinney two years later, the Giants’ second-round pick (No. 36 overall) in the 2020 draft.

Together, they endured the ups and downs of being on a struggling Giants franchise, their one shining season being in 2022 when the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and won their first postseason game, a 31-24 Wild Card Victory over the Minnesota Vikings, since 2011.

This week, however, the former Giants teammates who departed this past offseason via free agency after spending those four prior seasons squaring off against each other on the practice field will be facing each other in a live game as opponents, Barkley for the Philadelphia Eagles and McKinney for the Green Bay Packers.

“I look forward to playing against Xavier,” Barkley told CBS Sports. “Not only is he a great player, but he’s a great leader. When we were in New York, the way that he led, the way that he worked–he drives to be great. I know he’s doing that over there.”

McKinney still has a lot of respect for his former teammate, telling The Athletic, “He’s just dynamic with the ball. He’s pretty much all you want a back to do. … He’s a special back.”

Barkley revealed how he gave McKinney his first “welcome to the NFL” moment during a Giants practice during McKinney’s rookie season.

“In practice, we ran a gap scheme play, and I ran up the middle, and he thudded me up. I kind of got the best of him there,” Barkley said, adding. “He’s probably gonna try to get that back against me.”

Barkley will find out soon enough as the Eagles and Packers take to the gridiron in the NFL’s first-ever regular season game to be played in Brazil on Friday, September 6. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. Eastern.