PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley couldn’t have had a better first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley broke records and became the ninth player to ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. He was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year. And of course, he propelled the Eagles on a Super Bowl run. It was all pretty memorable.
But for Barkley, that’s in the past now. The backward hurdle, the touchdown dash through the snow, the confetti raining down and the ensuing parade. They’re all just memories.
Barkley knows 2024 was a special year in Philly. But with the Eagles starting training camp this week, you won’t catch the former Penn State star resting on his laurels.
“How do you mentally turn the page? It’s kind of easy,” Barkley said on Wednesday morning at the NovaCare Complex. “That’s the nature of this game. That’s the nature of this business. What have you done for me lately? Whether you win a Super Bowl, have a great year, you’re All-Pro, what you did the year prior has nothing to do with this year coming up.”
Barkley acknowledged, “You have your moments” to cherish that level of success before moving on. One was the Super Bowl parade. Going from South Philadelphia all the way up to the Museum of Art, Barkley and his teammates were showered with praise (and champagne).
Another moment to reflect was last week’s Super Bowl ring ceremony. Barkley, his coaches and teammates gathered to receive their personalized 12-carat rocks.
Barkley joked that it was a quick turnaround from last Friday’s ring ceremony to Tuesday, when players reported to the NovaCare Complex ahead of training camp.
“We got the ring, and then we have to try to go do it again in three or four days,” Barkley said with a laugh. “But it was cool to have the moment. To open it up, it definitely puts a smile on your face. Howie asked me, ‘What’s better: the confetti or the ring?’ I think I’d go with the ring. I’m not a guy who’s going to walk around with it all the time. But it’s a beautiful thing that you have. Every single time you talk about that year, you’ll have something to show for it.”
Someday, Barkley will have a lot to look back on in 2024. After six seasons with the Giants, the Coplay, Lehigh County, native returned to Pennsylvania. In a time when running backs are devalued across the league, the Eagles looked at their stacked roster and determined Barkley was the missing piece.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after he scored a 72-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL Divisional Round playoff game, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Philadelphia. Barkley rushed for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns and the Eagles won, 28-22.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Turns out, they were right. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in the regular season. He likely would have surpassed Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 yards and become the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing leader if he played in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Giants.
Barkley continued his electric play in the postseason as he rushed for 442 yards and five touchdowns in playoff wins over the Packers, Rams and Commanders. The Chiefs sold out to hold Barkley to 57 yards in Super Bowl LIX. In doing so, it opened things up for Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to rip Kansas City’s secondary apart.
“Every time I go back and watch that game and see clips of it, I was in hell,” Barkley said. “But the beauty of playing for the Philadelphia Eagles is we have a lot of great guys around us.”
That remains the case as Barkley enters his second season with the Birds. Hurts, Brown and Smith are back. Tight end Dallas Goedert is back. Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens are back, leading arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. There are multiple reasons why the Eagles are among the Super Bowl favorites, and Barkley is a big one.
Barkley doesn’t know what this season will hold. Sitting at a press conference podium in late July, he can’t predict the future. He doesn’t know if he’ll make NFL history and become the first back-to-back 2,000-yard rusher. He doesn’t know if the Eagles will repeat as Super Bowl champs, which would be an NFC first since 1992-93.
The only thing for sure right now is that Barkley has turned the page on 2024.
“In reality, we were 2024 Super Bowl champions,” Barkley said. “The next season has nothing to do with the year in the past. That’s why you come here. It starts in OTAs, preparing ourselves in the offseason. Now in camp, it’s getting the team together to try to make another run.”
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