Saquon Barkley says it was a blessing to leave Giants: ‘Smiling more’

Former New York Giants superstar Saquon Barkley is not looking back as he embarks on a “new chapter” in his life and career.

After six seasons with Big Blue, Barkley switched sides when he signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason.

In his first game as an Eagle last Friday night in Brazil, Barkley rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns. That made many Giants fans (and co-owner John Mara) feel remorseful.

This week, Barkley told Rich Eisen that he wasn’t surprised the Giants didn’t contact him in the weeks leading up to free agency this past March. He said things had been trending that way.

Barkley sees the move as a kind of homecoming, having grown up and gone to school in Pennsylvania.

“I look at it as a blessing. I’m in a new chapter. I’m thankful for all of those guys in New York for the six years that I had there. I learned a lot. I wouldn’t be the player I am, or the man I am today, without my time there,” he said.

Eisen asked if the way he and the Giants parted left him with a “chip on his shoulder.”

“It did,” Barkley said. “But I always have a chip on my shoulder. . . It hurt a bit. They say sometimes the grass ain’t always greener but here I’m happy, my family’s happy. I’m smiling more. Everything about me is trending upward.”

Barkley then clarified that his departure from the Giants is not his only motivation.

“The chip is on my shoulder not just because of the Giants but because I’m on a mission and I want to accomplish it,” he said.

This summer, the public became privy to the Giants’ offseason process on HBO’s Hard Knocks. There was a lot of talk about Barkley among the team’s brass, including general manager Joe Schoen, Mara, and several other top personnel people.

Mara clearly wanted to find a way to retain Barkley but Schoen had other ideas, claiming Barkley was going to be too expensive to keep.

Eisen asked Barkley if he was aware of the conversations the Giants had regarding him before he watched the program.

“Not really,” he said. “But I’m thankful for Mr. Mara and Mr. (Steve) Tisch and both of their families for giving me the opportunity and drafting me there. You get to see it firsthand how they appreciated me. They always appreciated me when I was there. You get to see it on TV. It left a special place in my heart.”

Barkley appears to have put the Giants behind him in quick order. He’s always conducted himself with class and in this interview he was just like what he hoped to be in his on-field career — consistent

“Things didn’t play out there the way I wanted,” he said. “Moving on, it’s not like my career is over. In my mindset, it’s just beginning.”

If he continues to play like he did in Brazil, Barkley will be very much in the conversation for the league’s MVP award.