Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2025 season.
25. Andrew Mukuba
24. Jahan Dotson
23. Tanner McKee
22. Tyler Steen
21. Azeez Ojulari
20. Moro Ojomo
19. Kelee Ringo
18. Jihaad Campbell
17. Jalyx Hunt
16. Jordan Davis
15. Reed Blankenship
14. Dallas Goedert
13. Cam Jurgens
12. Nolan Smith
11. Landon Dickerson
10. Cooper DeJean
9. Quinyon Mitchell
8. DeVonta Smith
7. Jordan Mailata
6. Zack Baun
5. Lane Johnson
4. Jalen Carter
3. A.J. Brown
2. Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley had an all-time season in 2024 and the Eagles are going to need him to be a huge part of the offense again in 2025.
Barkley, 28, became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in the regular season last year and he ended up breaking Terrell Davis’s all-time record for rushing yards in a regular season and postseason combined. Barkley rushed for 2,504 yards in 20 games.
He also had a career-high 482 touches last year.
“But the beauty of it is,” Barkley said during OTAs, “I don’t know how many touches I had, nor how many yards, but it doesn’t feel like it. I feel really good.
“I feel like I’m entering my prime. I just gotta continue to have the mindset of listening to everyone, buying into whatever they want me to do. Whatever they want me to do, try to do it at the best of my ability.”
This offseason, Barkley tried to be smart about taking care of his body. He said earlier in his career that might have been tough because his competitiveness wouldn’t want him to fall behind other backs. But he got good advice to get off his feet for a bit. And the Eagles kept that going in the spring by limiting his workload.
Even during Barkley’s Offensive Player of the Year season, the Eagles were always trying to give him breaks during the week so that he could run wild on Sundays. And it obviously worked.
What made Barkley so unique last season was his ability to break off long runs. He was good even without those game-breakers but they definitely added an interesting dynamic to the Eagles’ offense. Typically, if a team is trying to score quickly, they need to pass the ball. Not with No. 26 in the backfield. Barkley had seven plays of 40+ yards last season.
And he somehow got stronger as games went on. In first halves last year, Barkley had 760 rushing yards and an average of 4.8 yards per carry. In second halves, he rushed for 1,245 yards with an average of 6.7. If Barkley only had his second-half stats last year, he would have still been seventh in the NFL in rushing.
When Barkley initially joined the Eagles last offseason, he signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal, which he clearly outplayed in 2024. The Eagles rewarded him with a two-year, $41.2 million extension through 2028 that made Barkley the highest-paid running back in the NFL.
Not only is he the best running back, but he’s one of the best overall players in the league. And his season in 2024 helped bring back value to his position.
Barkley is clearly in his prime and he still gets to rush behind a fantastic offensive line and with plenty of star power around him. He can make a push over these next few seasons to cement his legacy, which is still his driving force.
“The thing that drives me is the same thing that has driven me since I was a little kid,” Barkley said during OTAs. “I’ve said this since I got into the league and I don’t mean it in an arrogant way. I want to be the best running back to ever play or at least one of the best running backs to ever play. I don’t think there’s actually a way you can prove who’s the best.
“But that’s always been my motivation and I feel like God’s blessed me with the unique ability and put me through a lot of adversity and that’s still going to be my mindset. The love of the game, wanting to win and wanting to compete and wanting to be great, it’s always going to push me no matter if we win four Super Bowls.”
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