Barkley: Hoping Jones can find ‘same fresh start’​

Saquon Barkley said Friday that he was hoping Daniel Jones could follow a similar path to his own — success in the NFL after the New York Giants.

Jones, benched earlier this week of favor of Tommy DeVito, asked for his release Friday morning from the Giants, who agreed to grant it in a decision both sides said “would be best for him and for the team.”

Like Jones, Barkley also left the Giants, his exit coming via free agency during the offseason. He landed with the rival Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract and has seemingly earned every penny, ranking first in the NFC in rushing yards with 1,137 for a Philadelphia team that is 8-2 and in first place in the NFC East — far better than the cellar-dwelling Giants (2-8).

The unique situation of two high draft picks — Barkley went No. 2 to the Giants in 2018 and Jones No. 6 a year later — no longer being on the team wasn’t lost on Barkley.

“I’ve been in contact with him. Our friendship has stayed close throughout the whole process of me being here,” Barkley told reporters Friday. “It sucks to see how everything went down for him over there. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about him. You’re not going to really find anybody that can say negative things about him.

“It’s the NFL. Hopefully, wherever he ends up next, they’re going to get a guy who come in and work. It didn’t work for me over there, and I’m doing well over here. Hopefully, he can find the same fresh start and success.”

One team that won’t be in the mix for Jones is the Dallas Cowboys.

Despite losing Dak Prescott to a season-ending hamstring injury earlier this month, executive vice president Stephen Jones told “The Blitz with Jason & Joe” that the Cowboys are happy with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance in the short term.

Jones will go through waivers, though it’s unlikely a team would pick up the rest of the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in March 2023. It would cost a claiming team close to $12 million for the rest of the season. He is likely to be signed after clearing waivers.