When the Giants refused to give Saquon Barkley the contract he desired, it became somewhat certain that he would look for a new home in free agency. However, not many expected him to join hands with their divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. Yet, a massive 3-year, $37,750,000 contract with $26 million guaranteed money, was enough to sway the star running back, leaving many stunned, including Steelers legend Le’Veon Bell.
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During his recent appearance on The Schmo show during halftime of the Celebrity Slam Jam Basketball Game, Le’Veon Bell was asked by the interviewer what the biggest surprise he witnessed during this free agency. Without skipping a beat, Bell named Saquon’s move to the Eagles as one of the biggest shockers. A Giants star moving to bitter divisional rivals isn’t something you hear every day. He said,
“The biggest surprise? D*mn, that’s a hard one… I like the move with Saquon going to the Eagles. I think that was a big shocker. The Giants guy going to the Eagles — a rivalry — in division rivalry. I think that’s a big surprise.”
Nonetheless, Barkley’s move adds another twist to one of the fiercest rivalries in a history-rich division — the NFC East.
Giants and Eagles Rivalry Gets Heated Up Behind Saquon Barkley’s Move
Saquon’s move adds another dimension as far as the rivalry between the Giants and the Eagles goes. The NFC East is one of the most successful divisions in the NFL, with each team having its period of success. As far as the division goes, it is also a hotbed of one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL, whether it is the Cowboys vs the Eagles or the Giants vs the Commanders. Notably, teams from this division have won a combined 13 Super Bowls.
The Giants-Eagles tussle for supremacy dates back to the 1930s when both teams played each other for the first time. The New Yorkers had a crushing 56-0 victory over their arch-rivals, even managing to secure an 11-3 record. While in the 40s and 50’s the Eagles managed to keep the rivalry close but in the ’60s, the Giants once again humbled their rivals with a 12-3 record.
It’s also worth mentioning that the 70s produced two of the most iconic games in their rivalry history, that are forever etched in the memory of fans of both the teams. The first was the Giants trashing Philadelphia 62-10, and the other is the Eagles producing a miracle comeback in 1978, a closely contested 19-17 win called the fumble by the New Yorkers and Philly fans dubbing it as the ‘miracle in the meadowlands’.
The 80s was one of the most successful decades for the G-Men, winning two Lombardi Trophies. Led by Bill Parcells, and Hall of Fame LB Lawrence Taylor, with their Big Blue Wrecking crew wreaking havoc on Bird’s Ron Jaworski. They also faced each other in playoffs in this decade with Big Blue’s emerging victorious in the wild-card game. It wasn’t until 2001 that they met again in the Divisional round, with the Giants beating their bitter rivals yet again.
The Big Blue continued to have memorable moments against their rivals in the 2000s with Eli Manning as their QB and another hallmark defense that reigned terror on the Eagles’s QB Donovan McNabb, sacking him 12 times in one game. The Giants notched their 85th victory of the series in 2016. However, for the past two and a half decades, the Birds have had the upper hand, churning out 35 wins as opposed to G-Men’s 19.
The tide has turned in the Birds’ favor as the New Yorkers have won only thrice since 2014. As per The Football Database, though the last meeting was won by the Giants by 27-10 at the Lincoln Financial Field, the Iggles lead this series 93-88-2.
When Saquon Barkley steps on the field next season, we can expect the same hostility and tension that makes this rivalry so special. The inter-divisional and inter-city rivalries are what make the sports great and entertaining. Fans feel a sense of belonging, someone to root for, and these matches add color and excitement to their mundane lives.
