Logo

Saquon Barkley was back in The Bronx on Thursday, but his mind is already on his first NFL training camp with the Giants.

“It’s go-time,’’ Barkley said.

The second overall pick in this year’s NFL draft was at Yankee Stadium for CC Sabathia’s Celebrity Softball Game and even though he has about a month until training camp opens, Barkley is just about done resting.

“I’m going to train in L.A. and link up with Odell [Beckham Jr.] and [Sterling] Shepard, Ezekiel Elliott and pick their brains, learn how to work as an NFL guy,’’ Barkley said. “This is my first NFL offseason I guess you could say. Even though I know how to work out, I’m going to try to prepare myself as much as I can before the season to be able to have an impact on the season.”

While working with Beckham and Shepard isn’t a surprise, Barkley was asked how he linked up with Elliott of the Cowboys and he pointed to their college years in the Big Ten.

“I’ve known Zeke since my freshman year, when we played them,’’ the former Penn State star said of Elliott, who went to Ohio State. “We had a really good game against each other. They got the win.”

Barkley, who has yet to sign his Giants contract (but who is slotted into a four-year deal worth $31 million), has also been keeping busy with his family, buying his parents a house in Pennsylvania.

“It’s something I promised my mom and dad,’’ Barkley said of his first major purchase since turning pro. “I wanted to do it since I was a little kid. To be able to fulfill that promise puts everything in perspective. … It’s probably the best accomplishment I have so far.”

Barkley insisted its something he promised his parents a long time ago.

“I told my Mom, ‘I’m gonna buy you a house one day,’ ” Barkley said. “I was 2 or 3 years old. I know it sounds crazy, but I did.”

Thursday wasn’t Barkley’s first trip to Yankee Stadium. He threw out the first pitch shortly after the Giants picked him — and he said he met Aaron Judge before that game and told the right fielder he could play in the NFL.

“I’ve got to see him run some routes, but he’s definitely big enough to play somewhere on an NFL roster,’’ Barkley said. “He’s got the size to make that switch. We’d have a spot for him on the Giants. He’s like a tight end, built like [New England’s Rob Gronkowski]. Maybe [Judge] is a little bigger. He’d probably move well. I told him that and he laughed.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy