Freudian slip? Why Eagles Saquon Barkley mentioned Brian Burns’ massive payday with Giants

It’s no secret where Saquon Barkley wanted to end up this offseason after testing free agency for the first time in his career.

If general manager Joe Schoen and the New York Giants were serious about keeping Barkley, they would have offered him a multi-year deal with an average annual value of at least $12 million per season. Instead, the Giants never made an official offer to Barkley before he bolted for the hated NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles .

Barkley will face his former team at MetLife Stadium for the first time on Sunday when the Eagles face the Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey (1 p.m. EST).

The star running back spoke at length with reporters at his locker on Wednesday, touching on his experiences with the Giants, his expectations for Sunday, and how he thinks the fans will react to him returning as an Eagle. He also discussed New York's thriving defense, dropping a subtle comment about new pass rusher Brian Burns that was … interesting to say the least.

First, Barkley singled out former teammate and longtime friend Dexter Lawrence as the best defensive player in the NFL. No surprises there. Barkley has routinely talked up his former Giants teammates this season, and it’s highly unlikely that the Eagles’ best defensive player — rookie Quinyon Mitchell — will take any exception.

Barkley also mentioned Burns, who the Giants acquired from the Carolina Panthers and paid handsomely — inking him immediately to a five-year, $150 million extension — two days before Barkley signed with Philadelphia.

“They brought in Burns, paid him a lot of money,” Barkley said. “He’s playing at a high level.”

There was nothing malicious in Barkley’s delivery or tone. It’s just a little random — or a Freudian slip, perhaps? — that he would mention the whopping contract extension that likely kept him from finishing his career with the franchise that drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Hey, it’s all water under the bridge now. Barkley got the contract he wanted and deserved from the Eagles. He’s on the other side of the rivalry now. And while the reception from the MetLife Stadium faithful won’t be pleasant on Sunday, he’ll have the last laugh if Philly leaves with a W.

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