A player’s legacy is often shaped by where they make the biggest impact, not where they start. Take Matthew Stafford, for example—or even LeBron James. A similar story is unfolding in Philadelphia with Saquon Barkley, who joined a division rival and won his first Super Bowl with the Eagles this season after spending six years with the Giants. That could have strained his relationship with his former team, but surprisingly, it hasn’t.
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Barkley and his QB, Jalen Hurts, recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As the duo reminisced their struggles before winning Super Bowl LIX there, Fallon decided to accentuate this discussion by playing the viral John Mara clip from Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.
For those unfamiliar with the context, the clip features Giants owner John Mara in conversation with GM Joe Schoen, who informs him of Philly’s strong interest in free agent Saquon Barkley. Upon hearing this, Mara made an iconic admission to Schoen—retain Barkley at all costs, as he is the most popular player the Giants have. However, they ultimately couldn’t keep him.
“I’d have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philly, I’ll tell you that. As I’ve told you, I’m just being honest. He’s the most popular player we have by far… He’s the most popular player we have by far,” Schoen said.
Reacting to the clip, Barkley clarified that this transactional conversation doesn’t reflect his actual relationship with the Giants. The RB revealed that, to this day, both parties remain as cordial as ever, with many members of the Giants family happy for his Super Bowl win with the Eagles.
“That clip doesn’t really display the relationship I have with that organization from top to bottom. They’re the people that brought me in. But after the game, so many guys and people from the organization reached out to me and were super happy to—you know, one, for my birthday, and see me hold that Lombardi Trophy up because they know the hard work that I put in,” he said.
That said, Barkley made it clear that the Giants are in his past now—his heart is in Philadelphia. Citing his idol Marshall Faulk as an example, he revealed that he now wants to be remembered as an Eagles legend—just like the former RB left a lasting legacy with the Rams, despite starting his career with the Colts.
“So, that clip is in the past, and I’m happy to be an Eagle. And I look at it as like Marshall Faulk, one of my favourite running backs. He played for the Colts, but he’s remembered as a Ram. So now I’m just trying to be remembered as an Eagle.”
.@saquon reacts to the viral Hard Knocks clip before joining the @Eagles. #FallonTonight #SBLIX pic.twitter.com/PmxZepXsnP
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) February 12, 2025
It’s interesting that Barkley brought up Marshall Faulk’s name as an example due to how similar they were in terms of career trajectory and on-field exploits. For the newer generation of fans, Faulk might be known as a broadcaster, a Colorado Buffaloes RB coach, but he was a stud back for the Colts back in the ’90s.
Like Barkley with the Giants, Faulk also spent 5 seasons with the Colts where his dual-threat abilities helped him rack up 5,000+ rushing yards in five seasons. But his career changed when he joined the Rams in 1999 as he went on to win an MVP award and a Super Bowl title while being part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” offense.
As Barkley noted, Faulk’s career is proof that a fresh start in the right environment can redefine a player’s career!
