The City of Brotherly Love changed Saquon Barkley’s mind.
And it’s a good thing for Nick Sirianni, because the star running back, at one point, did not hold the Eagles coach in the most positive light.
Barkley told reporters on Wednesday that when he was a member of the Giants, he was not a fan of the brash Philadelphia bench boss.
It was one moment in particular, during the 2022 NFL divisional round, when the two teams met at Lincoln Financial Field, that really stood out to Barkley.
“I couldn’t stand that motherf–ker” Barkly said. “I could not.”
Saquon Barkley said he used to hate Nick Sirianni — also said he’s the perfect coach for the city of Philadelphia. He had some high praise for Nick. pic.twitter.com/p85BiO950M
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) December 24, 2025
Barkley said that there was a snippet from the game’s broadcast that stuck out, when Sirianni nodded his head in total confidence as the Eagles trounced Big Blue 38-7.
“And that kind of stuck with me for a very long time,” Barkley added. “So I wasn’t a fan of him.”
But since jumping ship and winning Super Bowl 2025 over the Chiefs, Barkley has a much different opinion of his Sirianni. The three-time Pro Bowler said what fans see on TV during broadcasts or even on behind-the-scenes shows like HBO’s “Hard Knocks” doesn’t really tell the full story about the type of person Sirianni is with his players.
“He doesn’t get a lot of respect,” Barkley said. “I don’t know why he doesn’t kind of get the respect he should get, in my opinion. You really don’t hear about him. How long has he been coaching here? Five years? Who’s been a better coach the last five years than Nick Sirianni?
Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles speaks with Saquon Barkley during warmups before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field on December 14, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
“Like, he’s so obsessed with the little things, and there’s a reason why this team has been super successful. So it’s been pretty cool to be able to go from going against him and not being a fan of him, and then seeing what he’s all about.
“He’s the perfect coach for Philadelphia. Like, what he’s standing for and how he operates.”
Sirianni has the defending Super Bowl champions back in the playoffs, as they’ve already clinched the NFC East with a 10-5 record.
While Barkley hasn’t put up the numbers he had during last year’s All-Pro campaign, he still has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground and has collected nine total touchdowns.
The Eagles finish the regular season with matchups against the Bills in Week 17 and the Commanders in Week 18.