Saquon Barkley’s services apparently weren’t desired by every club in the NFC East.
When recently discussing his free agency experience last March, when he left the Giants for the rival Eagles, the newly minted Super Bowl champion revealed the teams’ division rivals didn’t pursue him.
“Never heard a word from the Commanders or Dallas,” Barkley told Twitch streamer “Janky Rondo” over the weekend when participating in teammate DeVonta Smith’s charity softball game.
“That’s why it’s BTA [belt to ᴀss] when I see them.”
The second overall pick with the Giants in 2018, Barkley became a franchise cornerstone who often carried a listless offense during much of his six seasons in New York.
Despite a desire to be a Giant for life, the star running back landed with the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract in March 2024.
While the Giants cratered at 3-14, things worked out quite well for Barkley in Philadelphia.
In his first season with the team, Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in the regular season — the eighth-most in a single season ever — was named First Team All-Pro and wound up on the Madden 26 cover.
Not to mention the two-year, $41.2 million contract he received from the Eagles just weeks removed from their Super Bowl 2025 triumph over the Chiefs.
For what it’s worth, Washington — whose Super Bowl berth was thwarted by Philadelphia in the NFC Championship game — never seemed to be in a position to make a pitch for Barkley.
As for Dallas, which lost Tony Pollard in the backfield to Tennessee, they got an earful for not going after Derrick Henry, who thrived in his first season as a Raven and was recently extended.
Barkley rushed for a combined 233 yards in his two games against the Cowboys last season, while he went nuclear for a combined 296 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a pair of games against the Commanders.
The Eagles will open the season against the Cowboys on “Thursday Night Football” Sept. 4.
