PHILADELPHIA — There is a noticeable difference watching Saquon Barkley with the Philadelphia Eagles compared to the New York Giants. An MVP-caliber year — and potentially historic season — certainly has something to do with how Barkley is feeling on a daily basis.
Barkley’s former Giants teammates, who are now with him in Philadelphia, notice something different regarding their former captain. Only center Nick Gates and wide receiver Parris Campbell can point it out.
“He just seems happier,” said Gates, who was Barkley’s teammate with the Giants for four years (2019-2022). “He just seems in a better spot. Not that he was in a bad spot there, but he’s enjoying life and enjoying coming to work every day. He’s having a good time, which is what football is all about.”
A happier Barkley could be the difference toward being a great player in one organization and superhuman in another. If there is a significant change in Barkley’s demeanor, he isn’t showing his hand.
“Obviously he’s been playing well, so he’s a lot more joyful,” said Campbell, who was teammates with Barkley with the Giants last season. “A lot more happy. But he’s the same Saquon to be honest with you. He’s putting in the same work, putting in the same time, doing what he needs to do.”
That’s just who Barkley is on a daily basis. Barkley was beloved throughout the Giants organization and locker room, and voted as a team captain through five years. He wouldn’t let the surrounding circumstances affect him or his team, even as he was seeking to be with the Giants long term.
“He was all business,” Gates said. “He didn’t talk about money or anything like that. He was just doing his own thing. He was for the team. He was one of the best teammates I’ve ever been with. Really good locker room guy. Great dude.
“You’ll never go anywhere and hear any bad things about him.”
Barkley’s situation wasn’t ideal in New York, even if he was happy putting on a Giants uniform every week. Running behind arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL was taking its toll on Barkley, who was averaging 1.35 yards before contact per carry in New York (compared to 2.76 in Philadelphia). The performance was masking how great of a player Barkley truly was.
“It was tough for everybody. It wasn’t a great performance,” Gates said. “You’re talking to a guy with first hand experience. We blocked for the best and we struggled a lot.”
The contract saga with the Giants circled around Barkley’s mind, even if the star running back wasn’t letting business out in the open. Barkley and the Giants negotiated for nearly eight months on a long-term deal, only for both sides to reach an impasse.
The Giants let Barkley test the market and would attempt to match his best offer based on how it fit into their budget. Once they allowed Barkley to walk out the door, he wasn’t coming back.
“I think with the amount of time he spent in New York. He spent six years there. He got a lot of love for that place,” Campbell said. “It’s the team that drafted you, where you spent all your career, it’s all you’ve known.
“It probably was a little bit of a feeling of that, but it ended up working out in his favor.”
Barkley received an offer from the Eagles he couldn’t refuse. Not only was the guaranteed money and multiple years right for him, but Barkley had the opportunity to continue to play just over an hour away from his hometown of Coplay, Pennsylvania.
Add what Barkley is doing on the field, leading the NFL in rushing with 1,392 yards through 11 games. He’s living the situation any player at his position wants to be in.
“He’s the type of player-leader that any team wants,” Campbell said. “Obviously it’s working out here. Saquon, he’s a special talent. He’s a special person. You put him on a team like this, things are going to go well.”
Even though Barkley seems happier with the Eagles, this is still the same running back that works hard to be great. Barkley is typically quoting Eagles coach Nick Sirianni when describing his success, preaching “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.”
“He’s a super cool friend of mine,” Campbell said. “We’ve grown close obviously from our time in New York and now our time here. That’s what I’m about, relationships with people. If you’re a good person, you carry that aura. People wanna be around you.
“That’s him. That’s contagious. That’s him.”
Gates sees the smile on Barkley’s face in the locker room every day. This smile just hits different than before.
“It’s a different type of happy. It’s just different,” Gates said. “When you’re winning consistently and you’re with a good team and a good scheme, it’s just different. It’s fun.
“I’m so happy for him. I don’t know how to put in the words.”
