A.J. Brown ready to run through brick walls for Saquon Barkley after Giants explain decision to move on from star running back

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown hasn’t been teammates with running back Saquon Barkley for long, but he’s already willing to put it all on the line for his new comrade.

Brown, like much of the NFL world, reacted on Wednesday to a clip from HBO’s offseason edition of “Hard Knocks,” which followed the New York Giants in the lead up to 2024 training camp.

In the video, the Giants’ front office is shown coming to terms with the decision to move on from Barkley, who had been a staple of the New York offense since being drafted by the team in 2018.

Given the Giants’ current cap situation and the direction of the team, the front office worked through scenarios where they could possibly franchise tag and trade Barkley for maximum value, but were unsure of what they could possibly expect in return.

The Giants decided that 2024 would be the year they see what quarterback Daniel Jones can do.

“We’ve got to upgrade the offensive line and you’re paying the guy $40M,” said Giants general manager Joe Schoen later in the episode. “It’s not to hand the ball off to a $12M back.”

In another clip, Schoen explained that the team’s data indicated that running backs were in for a steep decline after they turned 27. Barkley turned 27 in February of this year.

Ultimately, Barkley left the Giants as a free agent after being unable to come to a new deal with the team, and signed with the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million deal.

While the video of his former team moving was surely plenty motivating for Barkley, it was Brown who stepped up on social media to stand by his new teammate.

“The Saquon video fired me up and it wasn’t even about me,” Brown wrote. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you get yours fam!”

While there’s still a ways to go before the start of the 2024 season, Barkley could be in for the big year Brown promised if his game is still at its best, as he’ll likely be running behind the best offensive line he’s ever played with.

Barkley is currently listed at 16/1 to win Offensive Player of the Year at DraftKings, and his rushing yard total for the season is set at 1,000.5.