Saquon Barkley leaving the New York Giants for the Philadelphia Eagles ticked off a fair portion of Big Blue fans.
However, Giants third-year pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux did not have a problem with. Thibodeaux, who had previously said Barkley should have been paid before New York quarterback Daniel Jones, said he understood the 27-year-old’s decision during a recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
“It’s a business at the end of the day, I never really took it hard,” Thibodeaux told Eisen. “I reached out to him. This is a not-for-long league, so you’ve got to get paid when you can. And you can’t miss out on any dollars. We’ve seen it before with past contracts and past players, so I am happy he was able to get the contract he was seeking.”
Barkley has said on multiple occasions that the Giants never offered him a contract, though a clip from the trailer for the upcoming Hard Knocks series indicates there might be more to the story.
The two sides failed to come to an agreement on a long-term deal during the 2022 season and in the ensuing offseason, which led to the Giants using the franchise tag on Barkley for 2023.
The two-time Pro Bowler eventually signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with Philadelphia when free agency opened back in March.
Related: Brian Daboll Makes Opinion On Saquon Barkley Signing With Eagles Very Clear