Eagles Found Innocent of Any Wrongdoing in Former Giants RB Saquon Barkley Signing

The Philadelphia Eagles avoid being fined and stripped of draft picks for alleged tampering charges.

May 30, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball during practice at NovaCare Complex. | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles were found not guilty of tampering with former Giants running back Saquon Barkley before his contract with New York expired.

“After a thorough review of the Philadelphia Eagles signing of Saquon Barkley, the NFL today informed the club that the investigation did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Anti-Tampering Policy was violated,” the league said in a written statement.

“In coming to this conclusion, the league reviewed phone logs, text messages, and other documents related to Philadelphia’s free agency strategy and decision to sign Barkley. The NFL also interviewed several members of the organization, including Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni, as well as Barkley and Penn State head coach James Franklin.”

The Eagles, who eventually signed Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal, first landed on the NFL’s radar when Franklin, who remains close with Barkley, a Penn State alumnus, indicated Philly had spoken directly to Barkley to recruit him, an allegation that the Eagles denied.

“(Barkley) said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch,” Franklin said. “Not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but also the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well. So just a really cool opportunity.”

Franklin later clarified his statement, saying he made assumptions based on a short conversation he had with Barkley that turned out to be inaccurate.

"I had a 10-minute conversation with Saquon, and I just assumed and connected dots that weren't there," Franklin said. "All those conversations went through his agent. And obviously, I made a comment for three minutes that was misinterpreted, but by no means was it how it was portrayed."

Had the Eagles been found guilty of tampering with Barkley, they would have been fined and docked draft picks like the Atlanta Falcons, found guilty in tampering with free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, were.

The league’s statement concluded by saying if new evidence were to be uncovered, the investigation would be reopened.