Saquon Barkley Sends Strong Message to Giants QB Daniel Jones After Embarrassing Week 1

Most New York Giants fans weren't too happy with running back Saquon Barkley when he took his talents to the NFC East Division rival Philadelphia Eagles over the offseason, but the goodwill between Barkley and former teammate and QB Daniel Jones appears clearly to still exist.

Jones struggled mightily in a 28-6 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, after which widespread speculation about his future as the starter began to saturate the television and air waves.

However, Barkley took it upon himself to lift up his former quarterback and current competitor with a heartfelt personal message in the aftermath of Jones' 22-of-42 performance for 186 yards and 2 INTs .

"I was there for six years and got a lot of friends there, so no bad feelings for those guys. And hopefully, you know, they'll be able to bounce back," Barkley said during a media session on Thursday . "Yeah, I mean, I talked to [Daniel Jones]. I'm really good friends with DJ, and obviously he didn't have the game that he wanted. For me, it was just letting him know that [you should] just go out there and play free, and do what you do best."

Barkley had the polar opposite start in his first game of the season with the Eagles. Philly bested the Green Bay Packers in Brazil last Friday, and Barkley produced a dominant performance with 24 carries for 109 rushing yards and 2 scores , as well as 2 catches for 23 yards and a TD.

The former teammates will meet twice this year . The first contest is scheduled for October 20 in New York, while the Giants will travel to Philadelphia for the last game of the season on January 5.