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President Donald Trump reveals Saquon Barkley plea to New York Giants: 'I called that one'

Nick Profile Picby:Nick Geddes•04/28/25•

NickGeddesNews

Saquon Barkley
Caean Couto-Imagn Images

The New York Giants made a franchise altering decision last offseason. Star running back Saquon Barkley was a free agent and surely, the Giants had to make sure he didn’t leave the building.

Perhaps in another universe, that happened. But in reality, Barkley and the team were unable to agree to terms on a new contract. Barkley chose to sign with New York’s NFC East rival in the Philadelphia Eagles and as we know, Barkley ended the 2024 season hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Monday, President Donald Trump hosted the Eagles at the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Trump said he warned the Giants not to let they Barkley go. Clearly, they didn’t listen.

“I was with the Giants and the head coach, and some people and I said, ‘do anything you have to do, but don’t lose Saquon.’ They lost Saquon,” Trump said. “That was not good. I called that one. That was an easy one to call because he played damn well for the Giants.”

Saquon Barkley sets NFL record in 2024 season

Beyond winning a Super Bowl in his first season in Philadelphia, Barkley posted career bests across the board. The 28-year-old rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season. Barkley set a new NFL record for most rushing yards in a single season, including playoffs, finishing with 2,504 rushing yards.

That’s the player who was once a Giant. General manager Joe Schoen did make an effort to keep Barkley in Big Blue, but wasn’t willing to meet Barkley’s contract demands. Barkley admitted he was “fed up” by negotiations with the Giants.

“I was a little fed up, to be honest,” Barkley said this past June. “It felt like the only way the Giants wanted me [was] if I was able to go show my worth to someone. Like, I [had] to go prove that a team would want to pay me, so then, maybe, they would want to pay me.”

He added, “I kind of felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest. Because it’s kind of like a slap in the face. It was over after that phone call.”