After a break up with his original franchise left him playing for a former divisional rival, Saquon Barkley chose to go on a warpath. After initially setting out to prove that he was in fact worth every dollar that the New York Giants refused to give him, the bell cow running back for the Philadelphia Eagles now spends his time polishing his Lombardi trophy and visiting with the president of the United States.
Advertisement
In light of the Eagles’ 40-22 victory at Super Bowl LIX, Barkley and his teammates participated in the time-honored tradition of visiting with the sitting president in the White House following their championship victory. As Donald Trump recounted the team’s playoff heroics, he mentioned that he was honored to have been able to meet and spend time with Barkley before jokingly stating that the star running back was the first player to take him up on his offer to join him for a flight on Air Force One.
“He’s a handsome guy, but I wouldn’t wanna tackle him. He’s great, I got to know him a little bit. I offered him a ride on Air Force One because I was coming down. Usually they say ‘No, no. I don’t think so.’ He said, ‘I’ll take it, sir!’ And he loved it. He’s a great young guy and an incredible football player,” Trump recalled.
For all of the controversy that surrounded the team’s trip to Washington, the president had nothing but glowing remarks for Barkley and his teammates. In describing Barkley’s 2024 campaign as a “season for the ages” and crediting the Eagles with having “the most powerful offensive line in the NFL,” Trump’s remarks that stage was filled with smiles as various members of Philadelphia’s organization stood behind him.
Unfortunately for the Giants, they were once again reminded of their infamous blunder. Given his propensity for cracking jokes and making hyperbolic statements, it was only fitting to see the president rib New York’s front office for allowing Barkley to walk out the front door of their team facility.
“I was with the Giants, their head coach and some of their people, and I said “Do anything you have to, but don’t lose Saquon.” They lost Saquon. That was not good. I called that one. That was an easy one to call because he played damn well for the Giants, I can tell ya that.”
Ultimately, Trump asserted that Barkley did in fact make “the right decision” in choosing to join the Eagles, stating that “there’s great people on this team.” The Eagles will now begin to wind down the celebrations before turning their full attention towards the upcoming 2025 regular season, where they will hope to defend their world title.
Their appearance at the White House stands out as a rare moment of unity for an otherwise fractured nation. For all of the division that politics can bring, it’s relieving to know that everyone can still come together over the fact that the New York Giants blew it.
