Saquon Barkley is entering his second season in the NFL and quickly becoming a beloved figure in New York City. As a rookie running back for the Giants in 2018, he posted more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 combined touchdowns as a rookie. At this point in his young career, Barkley can do no wrong in the eyes of the fans, but he is well aware that this could soon be changing.
Recently, the second overall pick (2018) has been retweeting posts that show support for Colin Kaepernick and his quest to return to the NFL. Considering that the former 49ers quarterback is loved by some and despised by others, there is a possibility that the public opinion of Barkley could soon be changing. However, he doesn’t care if showing support Kaepernick causes him to lose fans.
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“I’m not afraid to speak my mind,” Barkley said, according to the New York Daily News. “If a fan wants to not be a fan of me because I retweet a thing for Colin Kaepernick, I don’t care. But I respect that people have their own opinions. Everyone is entitled to that. I just would hope that people respect I have a right to my own opinion, as well.”
Obviously, this issue surrounding Kaepernick and the NFL is a very lengthy topic. It’s not a simple matter of whether or not the 31-year-old quarterback is capable of winning as a professional quarterback. There are social issues to take into account, as well as possible collusion.
With this being such a complicated matter, Barkley is determined to approach it the proper way. He will not be relying on emotion as he discusses these topics. Instead, he will be doing his due diligence, educating himself on the matters, and then voicing his opinion. This is the approach that he took as a student at Penn State, and he has continued with the same mindset as a professional football player.
“If you ask me, ‘Am I in year two being more willing to be vocal about my opinion’ — that’s what I think the question is — I think that was the same case in year one,” Barkley said. “I think that was the same case in college football: understanding I have a platform and if there’s an issue that came up that I disagreed with, I’m more than willing to talk. I’m not going to just talk about it.
“Like say if you asked me a question up there (at the podium) and I’m not well-educated on the situation, I would go back, educate myself on the situation, and then be able to come back and give you a proper answer. I’m not gonna just talk off of emotions and in the moment. I feel like with topics like that, definitely go back and do my research and do my due diligence.”
Barkley has certainly been doing his research into the issues surrounding Kaepernick and the NFL, and he has decided to lend his support to the free-agent quarterback. Barkley believes that Kaepernick is talented enough to play in the NFL, and he respects that he is still working hard to prepare in case he receives an opportunity. If he can help Kaepernick make a return to the football field, that would be preferable for the young running back. If he loses fans due to this show support, then so be it.
