Saquon Barkley explains 'epiphany' that led to joining Giants at start of training camp: 'Followed my heart'

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At one point this offseason, Saquon Barkley admitted he was prepared to hold out of training camp as his contract negotiations with the New York Giants weren’t going the way he hoped. Both sides couldn’t find common ground, and the franchise tag extension deadline eventually passed without a signing on the dotted line for a long-term deal. 

But Barkley told reporters Thursday that he "had an epiphany," one that led to him signing his franchise tag – which the Giants bolstered a bit with some incentives – and not missing a single day of training camp despite a deal not getting done. 

What exactly was the epiphany? 

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New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) hands the ball to running back Saquon Barkley on the first day of training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports)

"The reality of it is, I mean, one, I kind of just followed my heart," Barkley said after day two of camp in East Rutherford, N.J. "Obviously, I heard what everyone was saying in the news and on social media, but I kind of just followed my heart. And then you’ve got to look at it from a business point, from a business view. I felt like, what’s the best thing that I can do? Some people may agree or disagree with this, to sit out or sit in, and I feel like for this year specifically, the best thing that I can do for myself would be coming back, going out there and play the game that I love, playing for my teammates, doing something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid."

"Obviously, I know what’s going on with the running back