Toward the end of his 13-year career in the NFL, Brandon Marshall found himself in East Rutherford, New Jersey, playing for the New York Giants.
“I think it’s one of the dopest brands in all of sports. I love what they stand for,” Marshall, who played his 2017 season with the Giants, told Fox News Digital.
While the Giants are rooted in tradition and respect, winning has been hard to come by in recent seasons. Marshall knows about that, having gone 3-13 with the team one year after they reached the playoffs.
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But the 2024 season not only had a 3-14 finish, it saw an ex-franchise cornerstone piece light it up with a rival elsewhere.
And Saquon Barkley, starring now for the Philadelphia Eagles, is heading to Super Bowl LIX.
Owner John Mara was seen on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” telling general manager Joe Schoen that he would have trouble sleeping if Barkley ended up with the Eagles. Schoen believed Eagles general Howie Roseman was out on Barkley, but boy, did he turn out to be wrong.
What transpired is arguably the greatest running back season of all time, and NFL fans have been ripping the Giants each week as Barkley seemed to outdo himself with every game that came up next on the schedule.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Giants and their fan base, but Marshall doesn’t want to hear any complaining from anyone on New York’s side.
“It’s what comes with it. This is the big leagues,” he said. “The Tisch [and Mara] family has been phenomenal to me. … I do think that they can embrace a little change and get with the times a little bit in some areas. But I’m a big fan of the Giants.
“With that being said, no, this is absolutely what comes with it. You had a generational talent in your building, and you knew it. It’s why you drafted him.”
Marshall flashed back to former general manager Dave Gettleman, who owned the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, saying that you choose a player that high who has an opportunity to reach the Hall of Fame.
Barkley showcased that ability in six seasons with the Giants, especially in 2022, when his efforts to set the tone in the backfield helped break the team’s playoff drought. But just one season with the Eagles shows what Barkley can do behind one of the best offensive lines in the sport.
That was on full display this past Sunday as Barkley rushed for three touchdowns in the 55-23 rout of the Washington Commanders to head to his first Super Bowl. It led Dallas Cowboys great Dez Bryant to join the trolls on social media, which ultimately led to current Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux getting into a heated argument with him.
GIANTS’ KAYVON THIBODEAUX, COWBOYS GREAT DEZ BRYANT GET INTO X BEEF AFTER SAQUON BARKLEY COMMENT
Thibodeaux might be defending his team, but it goes back to Marshall’s point: When you allow a generational talent to walk, expect the consequences.
“It’s unfortunate that they weren’t able to surround Saquon with the right offensive line, with the right coordinators, with the right receivers,” Marshall explained. “You insert [head coach] Brian Daboll, who I love to death, but it was way too late. Then, the whole market around the running back shifted. Now, you have Saquon Barkley and King [Derrick] Henry redefining how we should look at the running back position, how we should look at the run game. It’s extremely important.”
Barkley is on the cusp of history as he appears destined to break the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs, which Hall of Famer Terrell Davis currently owns with 2,476 yards. Barkley has 2,447 after his 118 yards on Sunday.
If the Eagles win the Super Bowl, like Davis’ Denver Broncos did in 1998, Barkley would cap a historic season, something the Giants hoped he could produce with them.
Instead, they have to continue looking on from further north on I-95. And what’s worse? This is only the first year on Barkley’s three-year Eagles contract.
The only way for the Giants to change the narrative is to build the right roster to compete with Barkley and the Eagles. Until then, the shots taken by football fans will continue to fly.
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