The New York Giants' offense struggled in its first game without Saquon Barkley, failing to record a touchdown during their season-opening loss against the Minnesota Vikings.
Daniel Jones has faced plenty of scrutiny over his lackluster performance in Week 1, during which he threw two interceptions including a brutal pick six.
Barkley, who enjoyed a stellar start to his Philadelphia Eagles career, told reporters Thursday that he reached out to Jones, who he considers a good friend, to offer some encouragement after the Giants' 28–6 loss.
"I was there for six years, got a lot of friends there, so no bad feelings for those guys. Hopefully, they're able to bounce back," said Barkley via Tim McManus of ESPN.
Saquon Barkley said he reached out to former teammate Daniel Jones following Jones’ tough outing in the Giants’ opener.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) September 12, 2024
“Just go out there and play free.” pic.twitter.com/uZsm5OlBYR
"Yeah, I talked to him. I'm really good friends with DJ. Obviously, didn't have the game that he wanted. From me, was just letting him know that––'just go out there and play free,'" he said when asked about what he told Jones.
Although Barkley signed for New York's arch rivals, he made clear there's no bad blood between himself and anyone on the Giants. There has been an abundance of criticism surrounding Jones's performance, and Barkley took the time to reach out and offer some encouragement to his former teammate.
Jones and New York will look to bounce back in Week 2 when they take on the Washington Commanders. Meanwhile, Barkley and Philadelphia will be back on their home turf as they host the Atlanta Falcons.
The Giants and Eagles will play twice this season, as they do every year. The first matchup is slated for Oct. 20 at MetLife Stadium, and they'll meet again on Jan. 5 in the final week of the regular season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saquon Barkley Sent Daniel Jones Message of Encouragement After Giants' Week 1 Loss.
