Speaking to reporters on Friday, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley questioned the logic behind Verse's pointed comments toward the impassioned fanbase from the City of Brotherly Love.

Saquon Barkley’s phone buzzed in his locker stall with no one around to hear. Just before the halftime whistle of the Eagles’ penultimate regular-season game, the running back received a text message from longtime trainer Moe Gibson that he wouldn’t see until hours later.

Two images of Saquon Barkley stand out inside the halls of Whitehall High, his alma mater. One is a close-up portrait of him as a member of the class of 2015 in black and white. He is looking directly into the camera and smiling faintly.