Saquon Barkley Carries One Major Challenging Burden With Eagles originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley is in a challenging situation. While he made history last season with a 2,000-yard campaign, the All-Pro knows the history behind those who reached the mark isn’t strong.
Advertisement
Despite the curse that running backs who record over 2,000 yards usually carry, the Eagles believe they have the recipe to keep their star player healthy at the position.
Others around the league share that belief as well.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared a column in which coaches, scouts, and executives ranked each position group. Barkley was the top-rated running back, thanks to his career year in 2024.
And a big reason some in the league feel Barkley is just scratching the surface of his career with Philly is the potential he was always supposed to have.
“It was almost like this was expected — he was always expected to be this,” an NFL personnel director said as shared by Fowler. “You can call it confirmation bias. Everybody thought he was a great player at Penn State, and he proved what people thought he would be. It just took some peaks and valleys. And he was in a bad offense (in New York).”
Advertisement
All these things can be true. Philadelphia’s offensive line could be the difference between another All-Pro season and mediocrity.
Of course, that creates a major challenge for the superstar back: The burden of great expectations.
Still …
If NFL personnel members are right in their belief that Barkley can continue with his elite style of play, then the Eagles are only just scratching the surface themselves as a championship contender.
That is the hope, at least, anyway.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.