As shocked and surprised as New York Giants fans were to see star running back Saquon Barkley leave, some members of the Eagles were just as to surprised that he’s joined them.
Appearing on NFL Network on Monday, Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson spoke glowingly about Barkley and how physical he is in practice. He then declared that he “never thought” that Barkley would be playing for the Eagles and that the offensive linemen are excited to play with him.
“Once you see him, you’ll never forget, just [a] physically imposing guy,” Johnson said, via NFL.com. “I think he walks around 230 (pounds).
“He’s ultra competitive. When you see what he can do at the running back position and we can flex him out at receiver, he can go. It’s unbelievable. I never thought that he would be playing for us, but here it is. I know that he’s excited. We’re definitely excited up front. I think he’s poised for a big, big year.”
Barkley entered the league looking like the best running back since Adrian Peterson, leading the league in yards from scrimmage as a rookie and earning Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors. But injuries would begin to plague Barkley, causing him to miss 21 games over the next three seasons
When Barkley finally played 16 games in 2022, the Giants reached the playoffs and he earned a second Pro Bowl selection. But more injuries and generally poor play in 2023 kept the team from extending him in the 2024 offseason.
Will Barkley make the Giants pay for letting him walk to the Eagles?