Giants Pro Bowler predicts rough reception for Saquon Barkley during return to MetLife Stadium

The New York Giants are three days from opening their regular season at home against the Minnesota Vikings, but some fans are already circling Oct. 20 on the calendar.

The Week 7 home tilt against the rival Philadelphia Eagles will not only be a good midseason test for how Big Blue matches up with the rest of the NFC East but also features star running back Saquon Barkley's return to MetLife Stadium.

The former AP Offensive Rookie of the Year signed with the Eagles in March, despite a passionate warning against the move from Giants legend Tiki Barber.

New York defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence joined Yardbarker for an interview on Thursday to discuss his ex-teammate's return to East Rutherford, New Jersey, as well as his partnership with Campbell's Chunky Soup's "Chunky Sacks Hunger" program and other topics.

The two-time Pro Bowler was asked what he thought Barkley's reception might be when he returns for the mid-October contest.

“Our fans are different, our fans are different," Lawrence said. "They’re probably not going to give him a warm welcome, but I’m excited to finally be able to tackle him and let him feel my presence a little bit.”

The Clemson product also talked about the addition of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who the G-Men selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Lawrence said that while Nabers has a "unique game," the youngster will need to translate the training-camp highlights to the field in the regular season.

"He kind of flows pretty well on the field when I’m watching him," Lawrence said. "But I told him, 'You know, you’ve got to show me what you can do on Sunday.'"

The sixth-year pro is one of 10 players from around the NFL taking part in the third " Chunky Sacks Hunger " initiative, which will donate 1,000 meals to Feeding America for every sack across the league.

The 26-year-old — known as "Sexy Dexy" — explained that he's a "big advocate of food and eating" and when he learned more about the "behind the scenes" work that Campbell's Chunky Soup was doing with Feeding America, he wanted to get involved.

Lawrence posted a career-high 7.5 sacks during his first Pro Bowl campaign in 2022 and added 4.5 in 2023 to give him 12.0 over the last two years.

“I’m trying to feed America as much as I can, whatever it takes," he said when asked how many sacks he wanted to have this season. "Now I’ve got a little more incentive in getting to the quarterback, so I’m excited about that this season.”

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.