With the Cowboys and Giants being bitter rivals, it's not often you see a player from one team come out and defend a player from the other team, but that's exactly what happened over the weekend after some fans on Twitter were ripping Saquon Barkley.
The Giants running back is currently in a contract dispute with the team. Barkley hasn't signed his franchise tag and he's not planning to show up to the start of the team's offseason workout program, which started on Monday.
If Barkley plays the 2023 season on the franchise tag, then he'll make a fully guaranteed total of $10.09 million for the year. However, Barkley wants more than that. According to ESPN.com, the Giants running back is looking to get paid somewhere closer to $14 million per year, which is a big reason why the two sides haven't been able to come to an agreement on a long-term deal.
There are a lot of fans on Twitter who don't want to see the Giants give Barkley a big contract because they don't think he's worth it. As one of those fans explained, Barkley seemed to slow down as the season went on in 2022:
- Barkley's first nine games: 931 rushing yards (103.4 yards per game)
- Barkley's final nine games, including playoffs: 495 rushing yards (55 yards per game)
"He was wearing down and not as effective in the final half of the season... just facts," the Twitter user wrote.
That's when Micah Parsons decided to join the conversation. The Cowboys linebacker defended Barkley by pointing out that every defense that plays against the Giants spends most of its time trying to come up with a game plan that will slow down Barkley.
"I mean, yeah, that's what happens when you the best players on your team you idiot," Parsons responded on Twitter. "The scheme on Monday morning is we will not let SAQUON BARKLEY BEAT US!!"
Parsons also pointed out that most of the Giants offense revolves around Barkley and that's why they should pay him.
"People just think we be out here playing free for all," Parsons wrote. "Like gtfo! That [guy] is that offense! Pay him!"
When Barkley was rolling this year, the Giants were nearly impossible to beat. The team went 5-0 in games where Barkley rushed for at least 85 yards, but 5-8-1 when he didn't, including the playoffs. One of the biggest knocks on Barkely is that he has a tough time staying healthy, but he proved that he could make it through an entire season in 2022 when he played in 16 games (The only game he missed was the regular-season finale when the Giants decided to rest him during a week where they rested most of their starters).
If Barkley is looking for some help negotiating his new contract, he might want to give Parsons a call since the Cowboys linebacker definitely seems to be a big fan of what the running back is able to do on the field.
