Saquon Barkley dishes on 'prankster' Eli Manning throwing grass in his mouth: "He got me one time"
Saquon Barkley spent his entire career with the New York Giants before departing for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 NFL free agency period. He spent six years with the franchise after being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The superstar running back recently appeared on an episode of the New Heights podcast. He discussed a variety of topics surrounding his career so far, including some details from his rookie season. He was asked if any stunts were pulled on him as a newcomer and he responded that Eli Manning was one of the players who pranked him.
Barkley explained:
"Eli was a little prankster, he got me one time. ... He did this thing where he'd like throw grass in my mouth. ... He's like, 'Man, my tooth is hurting me a little bit.'
"I'm like, 'You probably got a lot of money, probably gotta get that checked out.' He's like, 'I'm gonna show you what it is.' And then he just like threw grass in my mouth ... At that moment, you just like start laughing and stuff. I stole this from him and I'll do it to the rookies."
Saquon Barkley spent the first three years of his career with Eli Manning, who retired following the 2020 NFL season. Barkley had plenty of praise for his former quarterback, who spent his entire career with the New York Giants and helped them win two Super Bowl rings.
The star running back previously said that he wanted to spend his entire career with the same franchise, as Manning did. It didn't work out that way for him after joining the Philadelphia Eagles, one of their biggest rivals.
Why did Saquon Barkley leave the Giants?
Saquon Barkley found himself in a multi-year battle with the New York Giants in his search for a long-term contract extension. He consistently insisted that he wanted to remain with the franchise, but they continually declined to give him a deal. His rookie contract first expired during the 2023 NFL offseason, and they opted to use their franchise tag on him rather than signing him to a multi-season contract.
The two side apparently entered negtiations again during the 2024 NFL offseason, but were once again unable to agree on a deal. This resulted in Barkley becoming an unrestricted free agent and eventually signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. They gave him the contract that the Giants refused to, locking him into a three-year deal worth $37.75 million.