Saquon Barkley thought long and hard about his next step. What would be the right fit for him in terms of everything: A winning culture. A strong offensive cast around him. Proximity to his family. The kind of every-day environment that would encourage a team-first feel.
He had options after playing for six seasons with the New York Giants and establishing himself as one of the very best running backs in the NFL. Who wouldn't want a player who can do it all in the backfield, who is a great teammate and who is going to lead by example?
The Eagles wanted him, and on the first day of free agency back in March, he signed a three-year contract to play in Philadelphia. He explained his thinking at a NovaCare Complex press conference.
"Just being around such talented guys, especially on the offensive side of the ball — you've got Jalen (Hurts, quarterback), you've got A.J. (Brown, wide receiver), DeVonta (Smith, wide receiver) — a tremendous offensive line," Barkley said. "And I feel like I'm a special player. I feel like I've still got a lot left and I've got a lot to prove and I just can't wait to get on the field those guys and prove it and show it to the world.
"They want to win. I know everyone's stuck on last year (the 2023 season). But being 11-6 and making the first round and that's a down year? That's a great culture you want to be a part of when you have that mindset."
The signing surprised some in the hot-take sphere who wondered why the Eagles would go so large at the running back position, one that had, in some minds out there, been "de-valued" in the passing-game world of the NFL.
General Manager Howie Roseman made it very clear why the Eagles did it: They wanted someone who could make a difference in an already-outstanding offense.
"Those guys, they go for a lot of money, and we felt like there was an opportunity to get one of those guys in Saquon and bring him to the team," Roseman said. "There's risk in every decision you make, but we don't think there's any risk on the talent. We don't think there's any risk on the person. And we also feel like maybe — not that it wasn't anywhere else — but we have a good situation here with us in Philly to kind of maximize him. I don't think there's anyone when he came out of the draft that didn't think he wasn't a Hall of Fame-caliber talent and person. He's still young, and we're really excited to have him."
Barkley's season has been historic, as we've seen from the edge of our seats. From his three-touchdown debut in Brazil in a win over Green Bay to Sunday's 41-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys that clinched the NFC East for the Eagles and pushed Barkley past the magical 2,000-yard rushing mark, No. 26 has been a highlight film.
His entire season has been a series of milestones: Week 1 the amazing debut, Week 3 at New Orleans the 65-yard touchdown run, the 176 yards and touchdown in his return to MetLife Stadium against the Giants in Week 7, the Week 9 backwards hurdle in the win over Jacksonville, the fourth quarter, two-touchdown explosion in Week 11 against Washington, the franchise-record 255 yards (including two 70-yard touchdown runs) in Week 12 in Los Angeles, setting a new Eagles single-season rushing record with a 124-yard outing against Carolina in Week 14 and then, on Sunday, sweeping left for an 18-yard gain and topping the 2,000-yard mark (he's at 2,005 yards) in the 16th games of the season.
All of those are individual moments of recognition and excellence, and not once during this season has Barkley pointed to himself. Instead, he has worked hard to craft meaningful relationships with his offensive line, with his coaching staff, and with the rest of his teammates. His goal when he signed with the Eagles was not to achieve individually; instead, it was to work within the team construct to accomplish something special for the franchise.
"I'm not going to lie, but just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot," Barkley said. "But at the same time, I wouldn't be able to do that without this team. Like I said, you can't be great without the greatness of others, and I'm just happy I was able to be a part of the team and be able to reach a milestone like that.
"It's been phenomenal. You know, it puts a smile on my face when you're in free agency or where I was however many months ago, kind of in the dark, you don't know what's going to happen. You don't know where you're going to be. Everything's kind of up in the air. But after having that conversation with Anna, my family, and my friends, we felt that this would be the best place for me. One thing that we wanted to do also was be part of a great team, but I felt like there was still more that I could do for my legacy and for my name, and accomplishing a milestone like that definitely adds to that."
Sunday's win clinched the NFC East title for the Eagles and it meant, for the first time in Barkley's career, a division crown. Seven years in, and he's finally on top of the NFC East.
"It's cool, I'm not going to downplay it," he said. "But like I said, at the end of the day, you're not getting remembered for being a 2024 NFC East division champ. I'm happy, it's my first hat and T-shirt game. I didn't even know that was a thing, to be honest. So, I'm happy to be part of that, and we did it as a team. But we all know what the goal is."
The goal is to win everything, and that is the next stop in this unforgettable season for Barkley and for the Eagles. Everything is still in front of them.
"I didn't come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record," Barkley said. "I want to do something special, meaning special with the team."
