Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley Receiving Threats After Leaving New York Giants

Since signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, star running back Saquon Barkley revealed his family has been receiving threats.

When the decision was made to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles and leaving the New York Giants in the process, star running back Saquon Barkley knew he wouldn't please everyone. Barkley expected Giants fans to be upset because he was not only leaving the team that drafted him No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft, but was doing so to join their NFC East rival. 

However, during his recent appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by now-retired former Eagles center Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, he revealed some people were crossing the line.

“I get fans being upset about me going to Philly. First of all, the Giants didn't even offer me. ... Honestly, if fans wouldn't be mad that I went from New York to Philly, that means I did nothing when I was in New York,” Barkley said of fans’ reaction to his departure from the Giants. “That means I made an impact at some point; that's the reason why fans were so torn apart about it. I see my jersey getting burned, my family's getting threats, like my house — I see that part of it.”

Mar 14, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

It goes without saying there is a difference between a jersey getting burned and sending out death threats to a player and their family, even if they've signed with a “rival.”

But as Barkley mentioned, the unrest among Giants fans speaks to the type of player the Eagles are getting. Aside from two injury-plagued seasons in 2020 and ‘21, Barkley has largely lived up to the expectations set upon him coming out of Penn State. 

The 27-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler. In his six-year career, he has rushed for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns on 1201 carries while playing in 74 games. In the past two seasons, Barkley has totaled 2274 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns on 542 attempts while adding another 618 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver, all in 30 games. 

This past season, he finished with 962 yards and six touchdowns on 247 carries in 14 games. While he didn’t break the 1,000-yard benchmark on the ground, he did surpass it in yards from scrimmage, at 1,242. 

Now, after signing a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the Eagles, Barkley will hope he can provide them with their first truly elite running back since the days of LeSean McCoy.