Saquon Barkley has admitted that he could've handled his departure from the New York Giants better amid his online spat with Tiki Barber.
Barkley, a favourite among fans, previously voiced hopes to stay with the Giants throughout his NFL career. However, his shock move to their NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $37.75million (£29.7m) contract took everyone by surprise.
After confirming his move with two Eagles emojis on social media, Barkley's decision was slammed by Barber who said: "You're dead to me". Despite his own controversial exit from the Giants in 2007, Barber only played for New York during his NFL career.
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Barkley initially responded to Barber on social media by saying: "@TikiBarber lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team." He later removed the post and, having settled into his new job, Barkley expressed gratitude towards the Giants.
"To the Giants fans that were hurt by me leaving, I have nothing but respect for all those guys," Barkley said in his first press conference as an Eagle. "For the last six years, they've been great to me and my family and created so many memories.
"I don't think I really handled it the right way on social media. I think I could've given a proper goodbye. Like I said, once I announced it, everything kinda got hectic. But I am forever grateful for the Giants fans and so thankful for them. But unfortunately, the NFL is a business."
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Barkley got the contract he wanted, but with his former arch-rivals (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)Barkley shared his feelings about leaving the Giants, saying he wished for a better farewell. He explained that after announcing his departure, things got very busy. Still, he expressed deep gratitude to the Giants fans. Barkley pointed out that in the end, the NFL's nature as a business affected his situation.
Even though Barkley moved to a team that share a rivalry with the Giants, New York didn't offer him a deal to stay. They had placed a franchise tag on him last season, which meant he signed for $10.1m (£7.9m), even though he wanted a longer contract.
The Giants chose to keep Daniel Jones instead of Barkley, giving the quarterback a huge four-year, $160m (£125.7m) contract. If the Giants had tagged Barkley again, he would have gotten $11.95 (£9.4m) million. But they didn't do this, nor offer him an extension.
Barkley was picked second overall in the 2018 draft, making him the highest-drafted running back since 2006. He proved his worth by winning Offensive Rookie of the Year with amazing stats: 1,307 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Injuries have been a problem for Barkley over the last four years, but he still managed to score 10 touchdowns in the previous season. He missed some games because of an ankle injury. Barkley was looking for a secure contract, and the Eagles gave him what he wanted. Games between the Eagles and the Giants are going to be interesting.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
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