The strained breakup between the New York Giants and star running back Saquon Barkley became highly publicized last offseason, particularly due to the spotlight placed on the team by HBO's version of "Hard Knocks". While some members of the Giants organization wanted to retain Barkley, others weren’t so eager to keep the running back, ultimately allowing him to sign with an NFC East rival — the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants' decision to let Barkley walk has not panned out in their favor. The Eagles have benefitted greatly from the Pro Bowl running back, as he became only the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Meanwhile, the Giants, who finished with a disappointing 3-14 record, are now looking ahead to the offseason while the Eagles focus on their playoff run.
John Mara’s Concerns and the Commercial Response
Giants owner John Mara had voiced concerns about the potential departure of Barkley last spring, admitting in an emotional moment caught on "Hard Knocks" that he would “lose sleep” if Barkley ended up with the Eagles. Barkley himself is now revisiting those comments in a playful yet pointed manner.
Saquon Barkley’s Unisom Commercial
Teaming up with Unisom, a company that specializes in sleep aids, Barkley starred in a series of commercials promoting the product. In one of the ads, Barkley appears to take a direct jab at Mara. While he doesn’t mention him by name, he uses the exact same phrase Mara said on "Hard Knocks" about losing sleep over Barkley’s move to Philadelphia.
Barkley’s line in the commercial goes, “I heard some of you were having trouble sleeping, so I wrote you a lullaby. Rock-a-bye baby awake in your bed, as the thought of 2,000 swirls in your head. It sure is tough to lose sleep over football; not for me, though. Goodnight to you all.”
This is a clear reference to the moment on HBO’s "Hard Knocks," where Mara was caught saying he would have “a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia.” The commercial has since gone viral, drawing attention not only to Barkley’s success but also to the tensions between him and Mara.
Mara Responds to Barkley’s Dig
Ahead of the wild-card weekend, Mara addressed the commercial and admitted that he was “very upset” with Barkley’s dig, considering their close relationship during Barkley’s time with the Giants. Mara also humorously commented, “The least you could’ve done was ask me to be in the commercial with you. I could’ve been tossing and turning, and it would’ve been great. There is an acting gene in our family, you know. It’s not just my nieces.”
Unisom's Role in the Commercial
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Unisom, Claudine Patel, explained the rationale behind Barkley’s involvement in the commercial. After the viral clip of Mara aired, Patel said they approached Barkley’s team about the idea of partnering for a commercial.
“We just took the opportunity on a moment that went viral and has a lot of meaningful connection to our brand," Patel explained. "It could be a really tongue-in-cheek and fun way of leveraging social and leveraging his fandom."
A Bitter Reminder for Mara
It seems the situation is especially hard for Mara, given that his stance on keeping Barkley wasn’t enough to convince Giants GM Joe Schoen to re-sign him. Now, not only has Barkley become an important figure in the Eagles’ offense, but he’s also managed to profit from his viral moment with the commercial. The entire situation adds a new layer of complexity to the already fraught relationship between Barkley and the Giants’ ownership.