The NY Giants have released a statement that they are investigating a video of Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones that made the rounds on social media and purports to show the Giants stars partying in New York City without masks.
The video of Barkley and Jones was posted to Instagram by a man who goes by DJ Lugghead, who has since taken it down and claimed the video is a year old. A Twitter user captured the video and preserved it, which you can see below.
Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley breaking covid protocol by going clubbing after Eagles loss. My QB would never pic.twitter.com/am7zQrS9ie
— nap (@RyanLeeMP) October 24, 2020
The Giants statement read, “We are aware of the video that was posted. We are looking into the nature and context of what is on the video.”
If the video of Barkley and Jones is confirmed to be from Friday night, the Giants franchise could face league punishment, while the duo could face discipline as well, from either the team or league. They could also face potential legal ramifications, as New York City is imposing a fine of up to $1,000 on people violating local mask laws.
The league has issued fines and threatened teams with the loss of draft picks or game forfeitures for violations of the league’s COVID-19 protocol.
Video of Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones Alleged to Have Been Taken Friday Night in Manhattan
The New York Post reports that Jones and Barkley went to dinner in the private room of a Manhattan restaurant, and were then invited to a private bar that is closed to the public. While inside, their driver “DJ Lugghead” recorded the video of Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones that he posted to Instagram. He also shared a picture with the text “Rockin wit Danny dimes and Saquon.”
SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano has also reported that the video is, in fact, from Friday night.
The bar in question, Common Ground, is on Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, a popular nightlife area. Their website says they’re open for indoor dining at 25 percent capacity.
Video Shows the Injured Barkley Popping Wheelies Days Before ACL Surgery, Based on Alleged Timeline
If the video is from Friday night, Saquon Barkley was popping wheelies on a bike less than a week out from his scheduled surgery to repair a torn ACL. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that the surgery is scheduled for October 29th.
While the initial reaction might be that it doesn’t matter if he does damage to the injured joint, since he’s going under the knife next week anyway, that may not be the case. NFL Network’s Andrea Kremer reported that the delay in scheduling the surgery (the injury occurred on September 20) was so that Barkley’s MCL could heal and strengthen before going under the knife.
As a result, it seems that any re-injury to the MCL could further delay the surgery and throw a wrench into the current timeline – in which Barkley is expected to return for the start of next season, hopefully in time for training camp.
Plenty for Giants Fans to Be Angry About
So, let’s assume the reporting is true and the video of Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones is from Friday night. There’s a lot to unpack here for Giants fans to be upset about.
- The two players risked their own health during a serious pandemic, as well as that of their teammates and members of the organization.
- They risked costing the Giants draft picks, which would be a serious ramification for a team that needs all the help in can get when talking about an infusion of young talent.
- They were out partying the day after a 22-21 loss to their division rivals in Philadelphia. Personally, I don’t have a big problem with players in general having a good time the day after a loss – but it certainly irks plenty of fans.
- They appear to have been partying to the Eagles’ anthem from their Super Bowl season, Meek Mill’s Dreams and Nightmares.