PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles have denied impermissible contact between general manager Howie Roseman and running back Saquon Barkley during the negotiating window before the start of free agency.
Barkley, a Penn State alumnus and Pennsylvania native, agreed to a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles that includes $26 million fully guaranteed at signing. His former coach at Penn State, James Franklin, suggested that Roseman spoke directly to Barkley during the “legal tampering” period, which is not allowed.
Franklin said: “For him to now come back and be able to play in-state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things Howie told him on the phone as part of his sales pitch was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that, but obviously the connection to Penn State and the fan base as well.”
Teams cannot speak directly to players during the negotiating window unless the player represents himself. An Eagles spokesperson said all recruiting done by the team is facilitated through the agent.
The NFL declined to comment on whether it is investigating possible impermissible contact. An Eagles spokesman said he was not aware of any communication from the league to the team on the issue as of Wednesday night.
The Giants have not contacted the league about the matter, according to a source.
Barkley, 27, has been a star for the Giants over the past six seasons since being selected with the second overall pick in 2018, racking up more than 7,300 all-purpose yards and 47 touchdowns. Barkley, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, rushed for 962 yards in 14 games last season.
New York placed the franchise tag on Barkley last offseason, but declined to do so this year. According to a source, the Giants did not make a contract offer to Barkley this offseason. Besides the Eagles, the two teams with the most interest in Barkley were the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans, a source said.
ESPN's Jordan Raanan and Dan Graziano contributed to this report.
