Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, the receiver?

PHILADELPHIA — A powerful case may be made that Eagles star operating again Saquon Barkley can be extra lively within the passing sport in 2025 to counteract the eye he'll obtain as a rusher.

Barkley is recent off a season for the ages wherein he grew to become the ninth participant in NFL historical past to hurry for two,000 yards within the common season. He added 499 yards and 5 touchdowns within the postseason to maneuver into first place all time in single-season dashing yards, together with playoffs, and led Philadelphia to its second Tremendous Bowl title.

These numbers would have been gaudier if not for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs' heavy concentrate on him in Tremendous Bowl LIX. The Eagles made it look simple with their 40-22 win, nevertheless it was a troublesome day for Barkley, who ran for 57 yards on 25 makes an attempt.

The Chiefs had seven or extra defenders within the field on 38 performs within the Tremendous Bowl, per ESPN Analysis, their second-most such performs in any sport in 2024. And so they blitzed simply seven instances, possible partially to keep away from getting gashed by Barkley. The Chiefs recorded a run cease win charge of 36.1% — their second-best efficiency of the yr — and restricted Barkley to 2.3 yards per carry.

“The Chiefs did a very good job. Each time I'm going again and watch that sport or see clips of it, I used to be in hell, for positive,” Barkley stated. “However the fantastic thing about enjoying for the Philadelphia Eagles is we've got plenty of nice guys round us, so no matter groups need to do, it is form of decide your poison.”

Jalen Hurts gained Tremendous Bowl MVP along with his three-touchdown efficiency whereas demonstrating that the cross sport, armed with standout gamers corresponding to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, can rise to the event when referred to as upon.

However Barkley proved to be the offensive engine, and the Eagles will need to hold him central to the plans. A technique is to get him the ball via the air.

And Barkley has been fairly lively as a receiver in coaching camp, lining up everywhere in the formation and difficult defenders briefly and intermediate distances in addition to deep down the sector.

Barkley has pulled in some troublesome catches, together with a one-hander within the flat, and has been predictably troublesome to come up with as soon as in area. He practically secured an extended landing cross from Hurts on a fly route, however rookie linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. knocked the ball free on the final second.

“It is one thing that I am actually comfy with, one thing that I did particularly early on in my profession. And I've obtained to have the ability to adapt,” Barkley stated. “It is obtained to look totally different. What totally different seems to be like, I do not know, however I've obtained to be efficient in some ways and that is in cross professional, that is catching the ball, that is operating the ball, that is main. The one factor that issues is successful soccer video games. ‘No matter I can do to assist,' that is my mindset.”

Barkley had 91 catches for 721 yards in his rookie season in 2018, by far his profession highs in each classes. Final season, he completed with 33 grabs for 278 yards and a couple of scores, his fewest receptions apart from 2020 when he performed in simply two video games due to harm. There's room for a bump in pass-game manufacturing, even with Brown, Smith and tight finish Dallas Goedert needing their touches.

Barkley will possible be joined within the backfield by AJ Dillon and Will Shipley, who additionally has some pass-catching abilities. The Eagles can be conscious of Barkley's snap depend after logging a career-high 345 makes an attempt in 2024, nevertheless it does not sound like his enjoying time can be diminished dramatically.

“It is fascinating. We have form of talked about that, he and I've,” offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo stated of Barkley's workload. “It's totally game-specific. It depends upon how the circulation of the sport goes and the way we'll use it. He does a very good job of understanding himself of when he wants to return out, when he needs to return in. So, plenty of that can be on him, clearly throughout video games, and he is actually good about taking note of that.”