Barkley, despite being a rival now, gave Jones words of advice heading into Week 2
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Saquon Barkley is no longer worried about the New York Giants’ woes, but he did reach out to his former quarterback after his brutal Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Barkley is already thriving with the Philadelphia Eagles. The star running back scored three touchdowns to help his new squad topple the Green Bay Packers last Friday.
With some downtime to watch some games Sunday, Barkley saw what happened to Jones and the flak he caught from fans afterward.
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New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones jogs off the field during the first half of a game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Eagles reporters asked Barkley at his locker heading into Week 2 if he reached out to Jones after the bad game and scrutiny.
"I was there for six years. Got a lot of friends there, so no bad feelings for those guys," Barkley said, via ESPN. "Hopefully, they’re able to bounce back.
GIANTS' LINEMAN JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR BLASTS FANS OVER ‘INHUMANE’ BEHAVIOR DIRECTED AT DANIEL JONES
Saquon Barkley said he reached out to former teammate Daniel Jones following Jones’ tough outing in the Giants’ opener.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) September 12, 2024
“Just go out there and play free.” pic.twitter.com/uZsm5OlBYR
"I talked to him. I’m really good friends with DJ. Obviously, didn’t have the game that he wanted. From me, was just letting him know that – just go out there and play free."
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley leaves the field after a win against the Green Bay Packers Sept. 7, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Barkley consistently advocated for Jones over the years as the signal-caller struggled to find consistency leading the Giants’ offense. Jones liked having Barkley in the backfield, as any quarterback would, but New York struggled to find wins.
During the 2022 season, though, a healthy Barkley and efficient Jones helped the Giants not just make the playoffs but defeat the Vikings in the wild-card round. The Giants eventually got blown out in Philadelphia by the eventual NFC champion Eagles.
The Giants and their fan base are hoping Jones looks like he’s playing free as Barkley mentioned during their Week 2 matchup against the Washington Commanders, a team that was blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones got some words of encouragement from his old friend, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. (IMAGN)
Barkley can only send words of encouragement as he’s looking to build on his Eagles debut against the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football."
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
