Saquon Barkley spent five years lined up in the backfield alongside Daniel Jones with the two being close friend despite the former leaving for the rival Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason, with Barkley sad to see how things have unfolded this week.

Coming out of their bye week heading into this weekend, the Giants made the head-scratching decision that not only would Jones be benched – he’d be relegated to fourth-choice quarterback, behind new starter Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock and even the recently-signed Tim Boyle.

It had later been reported that the Giants had asked Jones to take a pay-cut before they had relegated him, with the front office seemingly making the decision to see the team drop him for DeVito while essentially freezing their former starter out of the organization. After discussions, Jones then requested his release which was granted – making him a free agent.

Barkley was disappointed to see Jones leave the team in such manner, after spending five-and-a-half years with the organization while battling with injuries and criticism throughout his team ever since he was selected in the first-round of the 2019 draft.

Barkley told reporters: “I’ve been in contact with him. Our friendship has stayed close throughout the whole process of me being here. It sucks to see how everything went down for him over there. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about him. You’re not going to really find anybody that can say negative things about him.

“It’s the NFL. Hopefully, wherever he ends up next, they’re going to get a guy who comes in and works. It didn’t work for me over there, and I’m doing well over here. Hopefully, he can find the same fresh start and success.”

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Jones will clear waivers and sign for a new team next week ( 

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Jones is extremely unlikely to be claimed on waivers, with the team who makes the claim needing to inherit his huge contract. This, meaning he’ll be able to communicate with any team that he wants from Monday, with his options likely to be intriguing.

Jones could opt to be a back-up on a Super Bowl contending team on a deal until the end of the season. Alternatively, he could be offered a starting job this season – with numerous teams likely looking to upgrade at the position.