Saquon Barkley has been a revelation since coming to the Philadelphia Eagles. While he had some strong seasons to begin his career in New York, injuries kept him from producing to his talent level. However, since coming to Philly, he has become one of the most prolific weapons in the NFL, bar none.
He’s also revitalized the franchise and made them Super Bowl contenders overnight after a disastrous end to their season last year. Now, with just one game separating them from the second Super Bowl in franchise history, Barkley went with his best Kobe Bryant impression.
Saquon Barkley Is Ready for the Super Bowl Already
What began as a remarkable regular season has continued to be a success at nearly every level. Through Week 17, Barkley was at 2,005 rushing yards, the ninth season to hit the 2,000+-yard mark in league history, before sitting out for rest in the final week.
Otherwise, after averaging 125 yards per game, Eric Dickerson’s record was in real jeopardy. However, even at the time, the focus of the superstar running back and the Eagles was on the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
Through two postseason games, the script was going exactly according to plan, and Barkley was inching closer to Terrell Davis’ single-season cumulative record (postseason yards included). However, the NFC Championship Game might have been their best showing all year.
Against a hungry Washington Commanders squad that had defied every expectation up to that point, the Eagles jumped out to an early 7-3 lead thanks to Barkley’s 60-yard house call and never looked back.
In the end, the scoreboard read 55-23 as the Eagles were back to their second Super Bowl in three seasons. However, the goal is bigger than an appearance this time. Standing on the field for an interview, Barkley made his intentions clear.
“The dream wasn’t just getting there, the dream was winning it.” It felt eerily similar to Bryant, who famously said, “Job’s not done. What’s there to be happy about?” after Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"The dream wasn't just getting there, the dream was winning it. That's where the mindset's at." @ErinAndrews spoke with @Saquon after the @Eagles win to send them to Super Bowl LIX 🏆 pic.twitter.com/dJgBpUMpdh
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 26, 2025
However, Barkley wasn’t completely dispassionate about the team’s achievement. “I tried to downplay it in my head, but it’s just amazing, man. … We’re gonna celebrate, enjoy this, and then get right back to work.”
The winner of the AFC is going to have a tough task on their hands. Against a game-breaker like Barkley and a defense that ranked second in the league, according to PFN’s Defense+ metric, it’s going to be a tall order for any team to go against.
Perhaps that dream is close to coming true after all.
