The 2023 season was a far cry from anything the Philadelphia Eagles had anticipated coming off a Super Bowl appearance. After starting 10-1, they lost five of their last six and bowed out of the playoffs at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A change was necessary and they found it in the form of running back Saquon Barkley.
With Barkley’s first season in Philadelphia in its home stretch, it’s worth reflecting on how he landed in the City of Brotherly Love and whether his contract helped the Eagles jump back into contention.
Philadelphia Eagles Signed Saquon Barkley in Free Agency
A three-year, $37.75 million deal for Barkley sounds like the cheapest of bargains in retrospect. But there was a ton of context moving behind the scenes that allowed Philadelphia to swoop in.
First came the injuries, as Barkley had already been through multiple ankle injuries and a torn ACL. As a result, came issue number two: money. The New York Giants were unwilling to offer him the significant deal he wanted, instead opting to sign Daniel Jones to an extension and letting the market decide Barkley’s fate.
On “Hard Knocks: Offseason With the New York Giants,” we even got to see the moment that New York general manager Joe Schoen told Barkley that he was going to let him hit free agency. In his final four seasons with New York, he had crossed the 1,000-yard mark just once, so there was some merit to the Giants’ decision.
Here's the phone call between #Giants GM Joe Schoen and Saquon Barkley when he was told he would be allowed to become a free agent.
Schoen asked Barkley if he could get his word on circling back to them during the process.
This is tremendous access.pic.twitter.com/wxt19WoY3J
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 10, 2024
“Once I announced it, everything kind of got hectic,” Barkley said on leaving the Giants. “I don’t think I handled it the right way; I think I could’ve given a proper goodbye.
“To the Giants fans who were hurt by me leaving, I have nothing but respect for them. For the last six years, they’ve been great to me and my family and created so many memories; I am forever grateful and thankful for them.”
Barkley is glad he no longer has to focus on the business side of football.
“I’m excited to get the business side off of it,” Barkley said. “The last few years I’ve had so many people talking about the tag or a new contract, and now all of that is done. Now we can keep the main thing the main thing and focus on playing football and winning games.”
The football side of it meant joining the Eagles and putting on a show.
“When it came to my attention that they were a team interested in me, I definitely got excited about it,” Barkley said. “Watching from afar everything that they’re about, the culture, the fans, definitely got excited about it. I’m happy to be a part of this.”
The results for Year 1 have been nothing short of extraordinary, far better than even the staunchest Eagles fan could have hoped for. Barkley turned in one of the greatest seasons for a running back in NFL history.
Barkley’s Impact on the Eagles
The simplest of metrics to judge their success is the record. After a 10-7 collapse last year, Philadelphia ended the year 14-3 with head coach Nick Sirianni resting his starters in Week 18. From an individual standpoint, the year could not have gone better.
Barkley totaled 2,005 rushing yards, just 101 shy of the single-season record set by Erik Dickerson. When news of Barkley sitting for Week 18 came out, there was a ton of debate, especially with the record within reach and the lowly Giants on the schedule.
Philadelphia opted to rest Barkley with eyes on a bigger prize: Super Bowl 59. Even with Hurts missing time, the Eagles were able to soldier through to 14 wins. They finished 14th by PFN’s Offense+ metric and have enough firepower for a deep playoff run.
Just two years ago, Philadelphia was in the Super Bowl, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. Barkley is the team’s attempt to bridge that gap and bring home a championship. He was excellent in his first postseason action with the Eagles.
In the Wild Card Round, Barkley added 119 yards to his total, and Philadelphia beat the Green Bay Packers 22-10. If the Eagles want to continue their run and bring home a Super Bowl, they’re going to need him to continue to perform at this All-Pro level. He’ll get that opportunity against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
