For a city that has given Saquon Barkley more trouble than success, the Giants running back remains to be thankful to be in Recent York.
At his annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive on Monday at The Bronx River Community Center, Barkley said he doesn’t get caught up within the business of the league and quite stays focused on what he has in front of him.
“I’m just thankful for every little thing. , I attempt to stay really focused on that,” he said when asked why he’s thankful to be in Recent York despite the challenges he faced within the offseason along with his contract. “Just being blessed. One other day of life. I even have a stupendous family, a healthy family. I get up and I play a baby’s game and I receives a commission numerous money for it.
“So, I don’t get caught up in it an excessive amount of and all the opposite stuff. I’m just really thankful that I’m in a position to do what I’m in a position to do.”
Barkley has been adamant about saying he wants to stick with the Giants and being loyal to his first and only NFL team despite the obstacles thrown at him throughout his six years within the league.
The Giants have struggled in five of the six seasons since he was drafted in 2018, with 2022 representing the only real winning record (9-7) and the team’s first playoff berth since 2016.
The team Barkley was drafted by is nowhere to be seen now, as he’s working along with his third head coach in Brian Daboll (following Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge) and his fourth offensive coordinator in Mike Kafka (after Mike Shula, Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens).
Moreover, the overall manager who drafted him because the No. 2 overall pick, Dave Gettleman, isn’t any longer with the Giants, which left Barkley to face a front office this offseason that had no particular loyalty to him when negotiating his latest contract.
After not receiving a long-term deal and making the choice not to carry out after being hit with the franchise tag, Barkley signed a one-year deal for $10.1 million with $900,000 in incentives he won’t reach after missing three games with an ankle injury and the Giants falling out of playoff contention.
Yet, there he was Monday, just a number of days before Thanksgiving, handing out greater than 300 turkeys and perishables to those in need within the neighborhood where his mother grew up.
“That makes it much more special. It’s great to be here seeing everyone volunteer and put a smile on people’s faces,” he said. “Plenty of smiles. Plenty of jokes. Definitely testing my Spanish a bit, too. Definitely gotta get sharper on that.”
Barkley mentioned the importance of meeting the people in his community quite than simply donating money to present back or another “easy way.”
He desires to be with the people around him in town to which he’s devoted.
“I feel prefer it’s something special to return out here and see the look on their faces, put a smile on their faces,” he said. “ And never just standing around, actually doing the work too with the volunteers. I feel prefer it goes a great distance, hopefully we’re making an impact.”
