Giants turned down Saquon trade request in '23

A caller documentary astir Saquon Barkley revealed the moving backmost requested a commercialized from the New York Giants during a telephone telephone with proprietor John Mara successful the summertime of 2023.

The Prime Video documentary "Saquon," which was produced by Martin Scorsese and volition beryllium released Thursday earlier the Giants big the Philadelphia Eagles, shows Barkley asking for the commercialized connected July 17, 2023 -- the time the deadline passed for him to motion a semipermanent woody aft the Giants had placed the franchise tag connected Barkley respective months earlier.

The All-Pro moving backmost played for the Giants during the 2023 season. He signed with the Eagles arsenic a escaped cause the pursuing twelvemonth and led them to a Super Bowl title successful his archetypal play with the Giants' part rival -- a determination that near Mara "sick."

The lengthy negotiations, spanning astir 2 years, prompted the commercialized request.

"I privation to tally thing by you existent quick," Barkley said successful the telephone speech shown successful the documentary. "I've conscionable seen the offer. I conscionable talked it implicit with my agent. Once again, I admit that. But I brought this up to [general manager] Joe [Schoen] a mates times and helium benignant of declined me. He said ownership won't let it.

"It's evidently wide I don't deliberation we're going to get to a spot wherever we tin hold connected a deal. So would you let maine for support to question a trade?"

Barkley was drafted No. 2 wide by the Giants successful the 2018 NFL draft. He made the Pro Bowl and was Offensive Rookie of the Year successful his archetypal season. The adjacent fewer years were littered with injuries and minimal squad success.

Still, the Giants had nary volition of trading their champion violative subordinate who they had connected the franchise tag, particularly aft they had conscionable won a playoff crippled and Barkley was coming disconnected a Pro Bowl season.

"Nah, Saquon, I'm not going to bash that," Mara responded to the commercialized request. "That makes nary consciousness for america and, to beryllium honorable with you, it's not going to beryllium successful your semipermanent champion involvement to bash that. There is nary mode that I would let them to commercialized you astatine this point. No. I'm conscionable being honorable with you."

"OK, I admit that," Barkley said.

"You're excessively invaluable to this franchise," Mara added.

The documentary shows however the negotiations took their toll connected Barkley.

But adjacent during a 2022 play wherever helium rushed for 1,312 yards -- the second-highest full of his vocation -- it was weighing connected Barkley's mind.

"They truly don't admit me, to beryllium wholly honest," Barkley said aft 35 carries successful a triumph implicit the Houston Texans.

He aboriginal added: "Every clip I speech astir this s---, my humor conscionable boils. It's the principle. That's each it is. It's conscionable the principle. I would've signed for $10 million, $11 cardinal if they had operated a full antithetic way."

Barkley played retired the 2023 play and rushed for 962 yards successful 14 games arsenic the Giants went 6-11. They declined to usage the franchise tag for a 2nd consecutive twelvemonth that offseason.

Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards successful his archetypal play with the Eagles, which ended with him winning the Super Bowl and being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

The prima moving backmost revealed successful the documentary that helium was offered $11.5 cardinal per play and $23 cardinal guaranteed successful a woody from the Giants earlier the July 2023 deadline. His woody with the Eagles is for $37 cardinal implicit 3 seasons that included $26 cardinal guaranteed.

After signing with the Eagles, Barkley received a substance connection from Mara.

"I americium sick astir losing you," Mara's connection read, according to Barkley. "But I recognize and respect your decision. We admit everything you did for this franchise. You are a people act. Wish you and your household thing but the best."

The documentary, changeable implicit 5 years, began erstwhile Barkley tore the ACL successful his close ...