The entire football world has seemingly weighed in on the negotiations between New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and running back Saquon Barkley thanks to Hard Knocks.
Many have been heavily critical of Schoen and his approach to the superstar back, who ultimately left New York to sign with their hated rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
But Schoen doesn’t care about the outside noise. He has “no regrets” over the negotiations or how the relationship with Barkley ended.
“No. No, I wouldn’t have (done anything differently),” Schoen told Kay Adams during a Thursday appearance on Up & Adams. “I think both parties tried. Again, this started back in November of 2022 — people forget that.
“We did go to (Barkley) before anybody else. That was my first contract extension; the first player we approached from the Giants for a contract extension back in 2022. Unfortunately, we were never able to get anything done and we wish Saquon nothing but the best.”
Barkley, meanwhile, sees the divorce from both sides of the spectrum. He respects the business side of things and Schoen trying to do what he feels is right for the organization, but from a personal standpoint, the veteran felt disrespected.
“I kind of felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest. Because it’s kind of like a slap in the face,” Barkley told Dianna Russini on Scoop City.
Unlike Schoen, Barkley admits he did have one regret and that was his goodbye to the fans. But that ship has sailed and he now looks forward to exacting some revenge on Schoen and the Giants in 2024.
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