Saquon Barkley? Dude looked absolutely electric in training camp this summer, and honestly, the Eagles’ offense seemed to feed off it. While the team’s offense as a whole might’ve been a little shaky, they were undeniably at their best when they just hammered the run game. It is not hard to see Barkley crushing it this season, though projecting him to hit those massive 2024 numbers again is a tough ask. What we saw last season proved that even Barkley looking good means squat if the blocking does not hold up. But here is the thing, I just have a feeling that this run game is gonna click better than it did in 2025.
Rest, Recovery, and Raw Power
Not only is the offensive line looking sharper, but Barkley himself is in a much better spot physically. The guy blew past his career high in carries with 345 during the 2024 regular season, then added another 91 rushes in the postseason. That is a brutal workload! It dropped to 280 last season, which is still a ton but gave him a bit of a breather. And you know what? That wild-card playoff exit against the San Francisco 49ers, disappointing as it was for the Eagles, actually gave everyone, including the 29-year-old Barkley, some much-needed physical and mental downtime this offseason. Running backs coach Jemal Singleton called the longer layoff “Huge,” noting, “He could take the time from the offseason and get his rest but then come back and start working. So I feel like he is in a really, really good place now.” Singleton sees it especially in Barkley’s conditioning, saying he has stayed on the field for more plays during long drives and looks “explosive” out there, even with Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley in the backfield.
New Scheme, New Playmaker
Throw those fresh legs into a revitalized offensive front and this new run scheme, and you have to feel optimistic that Barkley can climb back to the top tier of running backs. The Eagles made a major scheme tweak this offseason that is gonna be front and center in the running game: Jalen Hurts will be under center way more often. They have installed a wide-zone running scheme, which Barkley admits he has “always been intrigued with this kind of system,” watching other players tear it up from afar. He has even been talking with Peterson about aligning his depth before the snap, from six to eight yards out. The landmarks in the run game are just different now. Barkley himself is focused on what he wants to improve from last season, stating, “Being a better playmaker. That is why I was brought here, that is what I feel I am one of the best in the league [at] and just bringing that back.”
With Barkley feeling good and a new scheme ready to roll, it is gonna be exciting to see him go out there and prove why he is still one of the best. The Eagles are clearly banking on this new approach to get him back to his dominant ways.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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