Eagles’ Saquon Barkley says he doesn’t have anything to prove vs. Giants and focuses on a rivalry win

Saquon Barkley can’t point to another moment in his career exactly like this one — the return to a place that he called home for six years as a member of the rival team. From Whitehall High School to Penn State to the NFL, his first game back at MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants as an Eagle on Sunday is an unprecedented experience for the 27-year-old running back.

His mentality going into this contest, however, is not.

Four days in advance of Sunday’s matchup, Barkley said that he has learned throughout his career not to put more weight into any given game compared to the rest because his performance will suffer as a result. He isn’t looking to have a “[screw]-you” moment, Barkley explained without cursing on Wednesday.

Instead, he will take a level-headed approach to his first game against the Giants, the team that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2018.

“I don’t have to prove anything to them,” Barkley said Wednesday. “I’m thankful for the opportunity for this organization, from Jeffrey [Lurie] to Howie [Roseman], everybody getting me here. So that’s the people I’ve got to prove it to and my teammates. At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning. Whether I go have 300 yards or if I have 10 yards, as long as we win, I don’t have that big of a pride or ego that if I go out there and ball.”

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Even though Barkley said he will treat the game just like he would any other, he explained that he’s “still processing” exactly what it means to him given his personal history there. Over the course of six seasons with the Giants, Barkley played in 74 games, rushed for 5,211 yards (the fourth-most in Giants franchise history), and notched 47 touchdowns (35 rushing, 12 receiving).

Regardless, the two-time Pro Bowl running back said he’s looking forward to being a part of history given the staunch, storied rivalry between the two teams, even if he isn’t quite sure what to expect from the environment this time around. Just a couple of years ago, Barkley said he would have never anticipated that he would be playing on the other end of it.

“This game, this division, has been super fun,” Barkley said. “It’s awesome to walk in the hallways here and see the history of it. And I want to be part of it. I would love to make a play or be part of one of those big games, especially on this side.”

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From his perspective in Philadelphia, Barkley admitted that it’s “kind of weird” to scout his former team in preparation for the game. Even though the Giants have a new defensive coordinator in Shane Bowen and have added a big-name edge rusher in Brian Burns, Barkley still sees plenty of familiar faces on film that will try to give him fits in the run game.

For Barkley, it all starts with Dexter Lawrence, the two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman who is as formidable as a run stuffer as he is a pass rusher.

“I might be biased, we do have a friendship, but I think he’s the best defensive player in the league,” Barkley said. “Never played against [Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle] Chris Jones. I know Chris Jones pretty good, too. But seeing Dex and how he operates, and seeing how he can impact the game, that’s definitely a focus of ours.”

Despite his high-profile separation from the Giants in the offseason thanks to the behind-the-scenes moments that were televised on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Barkley emphasized that he maintains “real, real friendships” in New York that will stand the test of time. He still keeps in touch with Daniel Jones on a weekly basis (that trend will take a pause this week, however). When Barkley gets married in the future, he said that a number of his former Giants teammates will attend his wedding.

Those friendships will make Sunday’s game a little more fun and their exchanges a little more colorful, according to the running back.

“It’s no hate over there,” Barkley said. “But at the same time, I do know it’s a big game, it’s an important game. It’s a division rival and I’m going to go in there locked in and try to do the best I can to help us win the game.”

The Eagles play in Week 7 against the New York Giants. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from MetLife Stadium.