Prime Video’s Saquon documentary premieres on Thursday, the same day the Eagles face the New York Giants on Amazon’s streaming service. It’s no coincidence.
The film, directed by Alex Pappas with Martin Scorsese serving as executive producer, follows the star running back through his career — from his ACL injury in 2020, to his contract disputes with the Giants, to his record-breaking season with the Eagles, capped off by a Super Bowl win on his birthday.
Avid football fans likely already know the larger story of Saquon Barkley’s NFL career but Saquon offers a behind-the-scenes look at how it all unfolded from his perspective, not to mention a peek into Barkley’s family life.
“Filmed over 127 days, over 700 hours, all to capture a movie where you feel like a lot of people will be able to relate to and see a different side of me,” Barkley said. “You get to see the journey it took to get to this point. … No matter how many times things don’t go your way, how much belief do you have? I think that’s all coming full circle right now.”
Here’s everything we learned from watching the documentary …
‘Daddy, you need a Band-Aid’
After Barkley was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the former Penn State running back didn’t see much winning with the Giants, going 5-11 in his rookie year. New York went 4-12 in his sophomore season.
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But Barkley’s first major setback didn’t come until his third year in the league. After a Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020 when he recorded just 15 carries for 6 yards, Barkley faced plenty of criticism from analysts and former players, including former Giants running back Tiki Barber.
“After that game and that week of practice, I was in a place where I was not playing a game for the love of it. I just wanted to force a great performance,” Barkley said. “I even thought about buying a Tiki Barber jersey and wearing a Tiki Barber jersey after I go for 200 yards — all those idiotic and immature things were running through my head at the time. I was ready to have the best game of my life.
“We had a power play. I was able to break the tackle, and was stumbling and Eddie Jackson came up and I’m thinking I’m about to throw him by and take off. And I took one step and I just knew what happened already.”
Barkley suffered a season-ending injury. Dr. Neal Elattrache, the renowned orthopedic surgeon, said that Barkley not only tore his ACL, but also injured all the ligaments on the medial (interior) side of his knee, including his MCL, and severed the entire width of his meniscus.
“I didn’t blow up his phone,” said his fiancée, Anna Congdon. “I wasn’t freaking out calling everybody. I was really just laid back. And I just remember sending him a text, and I was like, I basically said, ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to take care of you.’ He gets home and Jada sees him with the brace on his leg and everything and she said, ‘Daddy, you need a Band-Aid.’ And I remember just thinking like, ‘Jada, I wish it was that simple.’
“He was basically invincible. One of his friends would call him Hercules, SuperQuan, all these nicknames that make him seem like this untouchable human. It made him realize, ‘You know what, I’m human.’”
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Barkley had surgery on Oct. 30, 2020. The documentary shows his knee rehab and watching the Giants play on Sundays. After missing the entire season, Barkley returned a year later in Week 1 of the 2021 season against the Denver Broncos. Leading up to the game, Barkley revealed his lock screen was a photo of him walking off the field after tearing his ACL — similar to how Jalen Hurts had the Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII loss on his lock screen.
“The reason why that’s the background of my phone [is because] that was a low point in my life and it’s showing me getting carried off the field,” Barkley said. “I’ve always had the mentality that like, ‘Try to be Superman, get the job done, get the job done.’ But that kind of made me realize that the things you want to accomplish in life, you can’t do it by yourself. It takes a family.”
‘You’re too valuable to this franchise’
Year 5, Year 6, they look at you differently, right? You really only have one opportunity to get to the bag when you’re a running back. They don’t want to go out there and pay Saquon $15-20 million. I don’t think it’s going to get done. And I do know one team that’s ready to trade for Saquon Barkley. Mr. Mara doesn’t want to give him up. That’s not good business. If you don’t want to pay him, let somebody else pay him … Take care of your people.
These were the words playing through Barkley’s phone as he laid in bed in his hotel room. Coming off a 2022 season in which Barkley led the Giants to the divisional playoffs against the Eagles, and finished fourth in the NFL — and first in the NFC — in rushing, Barkley was at a crossroads with the Giants as he entered free agency.
Barkley’s growing frustrations could be seen throughout the documentary.
“I want to be here,” Barkley said. “You’re telling me you want me to be a Giant for life; I’m telling you I want to be a Giant for life, but the negotiations and the contracts that are being sent don’t really feel like it’s matching that same energy. And it’s like, ‘I don’t want to go nowhere else but I also don’t want to feel like I’m stuck.’ And it’s like, ‘We got you, so you have to be here.’ I know it’s business but there’s a human side to it too.”
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After the 2022 season, Barkley and the Giants had a few options: free agency, the franchise tag, or signing a long-term extension. Saquon reveals Barkley’s discussions with both Giants owner John Mara and general manager Joe Schoen, which included the running back asking for a trade during a phone call with Mara.
“No, Saquon. I’m not going to do that,” Mara responded. “That makes no sense for the organization. To be honest with you, it’s not going to be in your long-term best interest to do that. There’s no way I would allow that. To trade you at this point, no. I’m just being honest with you. You’re too valuable to this franchise.”
Eventually, the Giants placed the franchise tag on Barkley ahead of the 2023 season — just eight minutes before the deadline ended. The film shows the moments leading up to the call, and the reactions immediately after he was tagged.
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”They tagged me because they don’t want me to play anywhere else,” Barkley said. “They’re doing what’s best for them, but at the end of the day, I got to do what’s best for me too. I got to get to a spot where I can compete for a championship or a spot where they value me and want to get a long-term deal done with me.”
Barkley returned to the Giants that season, agreeing to a one-year, $11 million deal for 2023. That following year, the Giants let Barkley hit free agency. He got the deal he wanted, with a chance to compete for a championship — it just wasn’t in New York.
‘Send the contract, bro … we’re elated’
The last 40 minutes of the documentary focuses on Barkley’s journey to Philadelphia. That offseason was the subject of HBO’s Hard Knocks, giving viewers a look inside the Giants’ side of the discussions. Saquon shows viewers the other side, starting with the phone call from Barkley’s agent Ed Berry, telling the running back about Howie Roseman’s offer to join the Eagles.
“Send the contract, bro,” Barkley responded. “Man, we’ll take it. Not just take it, we’re elated.”
Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract in March 2024 with his former division rival.
“I was able to get the guaranteed money I wanted and a chance to earn more money — which as a competitor, you want that opportunity. I get to create a new legacy,” Barkley said. “The Brian Westbrooks, the Shady McCoys, I get to chase those guys and try to do something where my name can be mentioned with them. That’s the beauty of football.”
When Barkley first arrived at the NovaCare Complex, he was welcomed by former Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham. His daughter, Jada, walked through the facility in her Eagles gear, singing the Eagles fight song as Barkley met with Roseman and Nick Sirianni.
“I had nights where I couldn’t sleep. I just wanted to have success [in New York] and dream about that parade in New York and having those moments,” Barkley said. “Unfortunately, the first six years of my career, we only had one season where we were really competitive. And I envision going to Philly and playing with the Eagles, every year, we’re going to have a chance.”
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Barkley found plenty of success with the Eagles in his first year, rushing for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns, and earning AP offensive player of the year. Barkley ran for another 499 yards (and five touchdowns) in four playoff games to set a new full-season NFL rushing record (2,504) on his way to becoming a Super Bowl champion.
“The run I had against the Rams [in the divisional round], like, that run to me was so special,” Barkley said. “Not because of the touchdown. It’s like the moment that led up to it. The place I took my head to and was like, ‘Alright, come on, it’s that time.’ And then boom. It’s called flow. You just get into the state where you feel like everything you do is right. You don’t second guess anything. You just let loose.
“It all came together. It happened in one play. And you’re able to feel just the energy within the environment. The closest thing I can think of is a rapper playing their song and they’re not singing anything. And everyone is just speaking for them.”
After winning the Super Bowl on his birthday, Barkley revealed he only has one more goal on his mind.
“I want to get back to that game so I can have that moment,” Barkley said. “I can put my statement on that game.”