NFC East rivalries run deep, especially up in the northeast. The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants are not too far apart from each other and fans of the respective clubs could be neighbors. Even Nick Sirianni has to hear from Giants fans every once in a while in Philadelphia.
Usually, Sirianni lets people say their piece, maybe get a shot in, and he moves on with his day. Nothing too serious, just a fun aspect of having a rival in such a close proximity — especially New York and Philadelphia.
However, he recently found a new way to clap back at them after the Eagles signedSaquon Barkley this offseason.
“Sometimes you see Giants fans around here being so close,” Sirianni said with a smile on his face. “You know, they give me a good ‘Hey, go Giants.’ I typically let it go but if the guy gets me good enough, I usually say ‘You know, we got your best player.'”
Barkley to Philadelphia has not been the most popular move in New York. A lot of fans, including former Giants running back Tikki Barber, have questioned Barkley’s loyalty. Deciding to play for a different team is one thing but moving inside the NFC East is almost unheard of.
After Barber’s comments, saying Barkley was “dead” to him, there was a response.
“lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team,” Barkley said via X. “I got the deal I wanted, secured more (guaranteed money) which wasn’t given to me before… so if fans are gonna hate me for that so be it! But I never turned my back on my teammates and always had theirs.”
There is an aspect of Barkley returning home by signing for the Eagles too. He attended Whitehall High School, just over an hour north of Philadelphia. Barkley played his college football at Penn State, being a star for the Nittany Lions before being a first-round pick of the Giants.
Week 7 will be a date for people to circle. Philadelphia heads to the Meadowlands and Barkley will make his return to New York for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Giants. Not the biggest stage but still a huge storyline heading into the matchup.
You have to imagine the reception will not be too kind. Sirianni throwing some more into the fire certainly does not help, even if his comments are made in a playful manner.
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