Saquon Barkley turned to Twitter to address New York Giants fans’ outrage on Thursday night, after his appearance at a Philadelphia 76ers game added fuel to their displeasure.
Barkley, who recently joined the Philadelphia Eagles, was seen supporting the 76ers during their Game 6 playoff match against the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center.
Giants fans expressed their dismay on social media, unhappy to see him rooting for a team considered a rival.
RELATED: Video Emerges Of Saquon Barkley DJing Meek Mill Hit at Philadelphia Club
In response, Barkley tweeted a pointed message to his critics.
Having left the Giants for the Eagles this offseason following six seasons and earning two Pro Bowl selections, Barkley’s move was also motivated by a significant contract offer from Philadelphia—three years for $37.75 million—which he accepted.
This shift was somewhat of a return home for Barkley, who grew up in Pennsylvania and played college football at Penn State.
The controversy intensified when a Giants fan accused Barkley of abandoning New York. He responded firmly, explaining, “Let me educate some of you fans here… I can’t bail or become a traitor if I never got an offer to come back… so I went to the organization I felt that was the best and after already being here for a month man I’m excited to be a eagle! Go birds.”
Barkley’s point underscores a breakdown in negotiations with the Giants, where he played the 2023 season under a non-exclusive franchise tag without a long-term deal materializing. He suggested that Giants fans should come to terms with his departure, given the circumstances.
