New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen shared his reaction ahead of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine to former Giants RB Saquon Barkley winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. Schoen’s response has Giants fans hotter than the GM’s scorching hot seat.
New York Giants GM Joe Schoen’s Response to Saquon Barkley Winning Super Bowl With Eagles
In a recent press conference before the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Schoen addressed the elephant in the room: Barkley helping the Giants’ biggest rival land a Lombardi Trophy.
The 14-second video, posted on X by SNY Giants, shows Schoen congratulating his former star running back for the title he helped a division rival win, stating, “I’m happy for Saquon. Obviously, he went on to win the Super Bowl, and we wish him nothing but the best. We were at a different place in our build.”
"I'm happy for Saquon, obviously he went on to win the Super Bowl and we wish him nothing but the best. We were at a different place in our build."
– Joe Schoen on Saquon Barkley pic.twitter.com/wgJaQgGKuc
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) February 25, 2025
Schoen seems visibly uncomfortable, and his voice sounds shaky, a trend that has hounded the Giants GM entering his fourth season with the franchise. While some praise Schoen for his diplomacy and class, others trash him for his perceived insincerity.
Those who tuned into HBO’s “Hard Knocks” noted there wasn’t a lot of love between Barkley and Schoen during contract negotiations in the 2024 offseason.
In the show, Schoen was vocal about his frustration with the negotiations dating back to the bye week in November 2022. His determination to get the deal done ultimately lost steam and dissipated.
Giants Fans React to Schoen’s Press Conference
Though New York fans have been accustomed to Schoen’s shaky rhetoric, the response was received about as well as expected. Giants fans watched their team go 10-31-1 since starting the 2022 season 7-2, not to mention a franchise-high 14 losses in 2024. Unsurprisingly, most fans responded with vitriol.
I’ve never despised someone more than him. I absolutely loathe this pretentious frat boy dork with every fiber of my being. Dude single-handedly ruined our franchise and pushed the Eagles to the Super Bowl. I don’t know how that doesn’t make him the biggest dickhead of all time.
— FantasyFootballAnonymous (@fantasyanony) February 25, 2025
A small contingency of Giants fans commended the former Buffalo Bills executive for making the right decision to let Barkley test the free agent market and are doubling down on their faith in trust in Schoen’s process.
Keeping Saquon does nothing. It wins us 2-3 more meaningless games. Happy for him. Trust in Schoen
— OffTheRopezWrestling (@OffTheRopez) February 25, 2025
Fallout From Schoen Not Re-Signing Barkley
The decision to let Barkley walk in free agency has to haunt Giants co-owner John Mara, who warned he’d lose sleep if the veteran RB signed with the Eagles. The little sleep Mara does get is most likely plagued by Barkley’s stats with Philadelphia.
The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year broke the NFL’s single-season rushing record, including playoffs, surpassing Terrell Davis’ mark set in 1998. Barkley became only the ninth running back in NFL history to surpass the 2,000-yard rushing milestone.
Schoen’s decision had extreme ramifications and consequences that extended far beyond the team’s salary cap. Giants players and even Barkley’s family have expressed their disapproval.
Barkley’s mother, Tonya Johnson, publicly criticized New York’s management, stating, “Everybody else knows why it didn’t happen,” referring to Barkley’s lack of success with New York.
As Schoen faces mounting pressure to turn the Giants’ fortunes around, his 2025 NFL Draft will be under a microscope. If he can duplicate or improve upon his haul from the 2024 draft, it could give the Giants’ ownership enough confidence to see through his vision of the team’s rebuild.
The 2025 season looms large for Schoen and the organization, with New York fans anticipating protests as early as Week 1. The giant shadow of Barkley’s Super Bowl victory with the Eagles will undoubtedly hang over — or fly over — MetLife Stadium for seasons to come.