Two of the NFL's brightest young stars, Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney, were once destined to reunite on the same team. But fate had other plans, and now they will face off on opposite sides of the field.
Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney share a special bond. They grew up together in Coplay, Pennsylvania, and were teammates on the same high school football team. They even played together at Penn State University before being selected in the first round of the same NFL Draft.
Barkley and McKinney: A Reunion Denied
But this season, Barkley and McKinney will be on opposite sides of the field. Barkley is a running back for the New York Giants, while McKinney is a safety for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles were interested in drafting both Barkley and McKinney, but they were only able to afford to draft McKinney. Barkley went to the Giants with the second overall pick, while McKinney went to the Eagles with the 36th overall pick.
"It would have been great to play with Saquon again," McKinney said. "We have a great relationship, and I think we could have made a lot of plays together."
Barkley agreed, saying, "I was looking forward to playing with Xavier again. He's a great player, and I think we could have helped each other a lot."
But even though they won't be teammates, Barkley and McKinney are still close friends. They often talk and text each other, and they plan to get together during the offseason.
"We'll always be friends," Barkley said. "We grew up together, and we've been through a lot together. Nothing can change that."
McKinney echoed those sentiments, saying, "Saquon is like a brother to me. We'll always be there for each other, no matter what."
Even though they won't be on the same team, Barkley and McKinney are both excited for the future. They both have bright futures in the NFL, and they can't wait to see what the future holds.
"I'm just grateful to be in the NFL," Barkley said. "I'm going to make the most of this opportunity, and I'm going to try to help the Giants win a lot of games."
McKinney echoed those sentiments, saying, "I'm so grateful to be a part of the Eagles organization. I'm going to work hard and do everything I can to help the team win."
Barkley and McKinney are both rising stars in the NFL, and they are both poised for great things. Even though they won't be teammates, they will always be friends.
