The NY Giants Expected Saquon Barkley to Come Back “Crawling,” But Agent Ed Berry Took Him to the Super Bowl

From draft day busts to poor play calling, the history of the NFL is littered with blunders and bad decision-making. And the New York Giants may have unknowingly made the biggest mistake in gridiron history when they chose to cut Saquon Barkley loose.

Since leaving NY, Barkley has produced one of the greatest rushing seasons ever recorded. Now preparing for a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX, Barkley has little to no incentive to ever look back.

In a sit-down interview with Ryan Clark and the Pivot Podcast crew, the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year revisited that fateful phone call with New York executives.

“They thought I was going to hit the open market and not really get what I want and probably come back crawling. My agent killed it. He told me ‘Don’t worry, I got you. Just put your trust in me.'”

Despite informing the franchise that he “…wanted to be a Giant for life,” Barkley said he felt that “They really tried me, lowkey… He really set me up so I could act a different way, and I didn’t.”

Thanks to the power of hindsight, we now know that Barkley absolutely made the right decision in trusting his agent. After all, he’s now about to play in his first-ever Super Bowl, and all eyes are on him.

Ed Berry, of the Creative Artists Association, is listed by the NFL Players Association as the sole representative of Barkley. A Kentucky graduate, Berry is officially responsible for one of the greatest partnerships in NFL history.

The NFL’s premiere runner was sure to take the time to give Berry his rightfully due credit as well, noting “He went out there and went to work for me and got me the deal that I have.”

The Philadelphia Eagles should be sending Berry a “Thank you” present given what Barkley has done for their franchise this year. His 2,005 rushing yards during the 2024 regular season were the eighth most by a running back in NFL history, and his 442 rushing yards throughout the playoffs have put the Eagles on the cusp of securing their second Lombardi trophy in franchise history.

Barkley also led the league in rushing attempts and rushing yards per game while also scoring 13 rushing touchdowns. He received the third most votes for the 2024 NFL MVP Award.

Thanks to his on-field performance this year, in addition to Berry’s negotiating skills, Barkley has now earned over a million dollars in contract incentives this year.

With a victory at Super Bowl LIX meaning an additional payday for the Penn State product, fans can be assured that Barkley will leave it all out on the field this Sunday. Regardless of who wins the championship contest, it’s safe to say that the Giants’ co-owner, John Mara, will have a hard time sleeping this Sunday night.