A lot has changed in two years in terms of Saquon Barkley's Super Bowl rooting interest

A lot changes when you switch teams in-division. One that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley might not have anticipated happening this quickly is having to admit that he rooted against his current team when it played in the Super Bowl just two seasons ago. That's probably because when Super Bowl 57 kicked off between the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, Barkley was a member of the New York Giants, one of the Eagles biggest rivals.

"Of course I was rooting against them," Barkley said. "They knocked us out of the playoffs at that time. So yeah, there was no part of me that wanted the Eagles to win."

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After the Giants upset the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round, they were stomped in Philadelphia, losing 38-7. The sting of that loss and the desire to not have a division rival win a Super Bowl fueled Barkley's rooting interest in that Super Bowl. Now, as a member of those Eagles, fans can rest assured he'll be rooting for, and playing as hard as he can, for Philadelphia next Sunday.

"Definitely don't want to be a part of that," Barkley said about seeing the wrong colored confetti falling after the Super Bowl. "That's definitely something that drives us. For those guys that have been a part of it but also just wanting to get the job done. And knowing how it is for those guys, how it felt. Doing everything I can in my possible ability to make sure that doesn't happen."

Barkley was drafted by New York in 2018 and spent six season with the Giants before signing a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles this offseason. He's had his best career season in Philadelphia. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. His 2,005 yards are third-most all-time. In the playoffs, he's rushed for 442 yards and 5 touchdowns in three games, leading the league in both categories.

Philadelphia needs one more big performance from Barkley if they want to capture its second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Super Bowl 59 is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 on February 9 from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

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