New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley revealed the comment a fan made during last week’s loss against the Miami Dolphins that triggered him to shout back in defense of quarterback Daniel Jones.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, Barkley addressed what had been behind the now-viral video that showed him interacting with someone in the crowd during last weekend’s 31-16 loss at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
"We live in New York and New Jersey, and we play for the New York Giants – that’s expected. They want a team that’s going to go out there and win. So when it's the booing, when it's the cheering, when they say all this, I’m okay with that," Barkley explained.
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"That doesn’t bother me. I don’t let that get under my skin. But that moment, especially when [Jones], someone who would give his freaking all for this franchise and for this city and go out there and risk it every single day and do whatever he can to bring a Super Bowl to this city, to this organization, and he just hurt his neck, and he’s sitting in a blue tent getting checked on for his neck, and you got a fan just motherf---ing him. That just doesn't sit well with me. He’s helpless. He can’t do anything.
Jones took a beating on the field for the second week in a row. He was sacked six times and took several hard hits throughout the game. In the previous week’s loss against the Seattle Seahawks, Jones was sacked 11 times.
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"I get it. I was a fan of football before. That’s not in my makeup, that’s not in my character to boo and do stuff like that. But, fans, if you don’t like the product that we’re doing out there — we got to give them a product to be happy about," Barkley continued.
"Go ahead and boo. Go ahead and cheer. That’s part of the game, but have sympathy at the same time. He’s a human being. Out of all people, it shouldn’t be [Jones]."
Barkley has been sidelined with an ankle sprain since the Giants’ Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He told reporters Thursday that while he feels more improved since last week, the rehab process is still taking time.
"It sucks, because as a competitor you want to be out there. And it’s not like more of the mindset of ‘I want to be out there, it’s going to change something.’ It’s more the mindset of seeing your guys fighting, and you can’t do anything about it. It’s hard to lead, it’s hard to have a presence when you’re on the sideline in a hat and a hoodie and street clothes."
