Latest news with #Barkley
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles' 12 most intriguing players No. 3: The wrong Saquon Barkley question for 2025
PHILADELPHIA − You will hear often, if you haven't already, about a realistic expectation for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley for the 2025 season. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards last season, becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to do so, and the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Including playoffs, Barkley had 2,504 yards, setting an unofficial NFL record for rushing yards in an entire season. And yet, nearly every question that Barkley has faced going into this season is can he do it again? After all, no running back in NFL history has ever rushed for 2,000 or more yards twice in a season. And Barkley is 28 years old, considered on the older side for a running back, and coming off a season that lasted into the middle of February. OUR COMPLETE COUNTDOWN: Eagles 12 most intriguing players in 2025: The countdown from No. 12 to 1 for training camp JALEN HURTS RESPECT: 'That's 'B.S.'' Eagles coach rips Jalen Hurts narrative regarding Saquon Barkley, others Barkley ended up surpassing his previous high for touches in a season by more than 100, finishing with 482. But doing it again, replete with the backward hurdle, is the wrong question. That's why Barkley is No. 3 on our list of 12 most intriguing Eagles heading into the start of training camp on July 22. We're counting them down each weekday from No. 12 to No. 1. The series began July 7 and will culminate with the start of camp. For the record, Barkley was asked if surpassing 2,000 yards rushing is a goal of his for this season. "Yeah, I think that would be pretty cool," Barkley said. "But I didn't go into last year with the mindset of rushing for 2,000 yards. It's kind of just happened." And Barkley certainly isn't going into this season with that mindset either, even though he has said he wants to be known as the best running back to ever play the game. For one, the Eagles' opponents might not let him duplicate his 2024 season. No doubt, every defensive coordinator is looking at how the Kansas City Chiefs held Barkley to 57 yards on 25 carries in the Super Bowl. It was the second-lowest total of yards in Barkley's 20 games last season. And at 2.3 yards per carry, it was his lowest average in a game for the season. Of course, the Eagles had answers with Jalen Hurts completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards as the Eagles took a 34-0 lead in the third quarter and cruised to a 40-22 win. And with the Chiefs focusing on Barkley, Hurts gained 72 yards on 11 carries. Secondly, those answers are there again this year. The Eagles return 10 of 11 starters on offense, including all of their skill position players in Hurts, Barkley, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert. They also return four of five starters from a dominant offensive line. Load up to stop Barkley, and Brown and Smith will burn 1-on-1 coverages, or Hurts will keep the ball and rush into open spaces. So the right question is whether the Eagles need Barkley to get 2,000 yards again. Oh sure, the Eagles need Barkley to be dynamic, able to break through a hole and run for 40-plus yards. He did this nine times last season, including playoffs. This is unchartered territory for Barkley and the Eagles, both in adjusting to defenses adjustments, and making sure Barkley is rested and healthy for another season that can extend into February. Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book "You just gotta be smarter," Barkley said. "You have your moments where you go in there, you grind, and you push it ... But the majority of those days is mobility, conditioning, doing all of the things to get your body in shape to perform at a high level." And then Barkley added this: "It was a (big) workload (in 2024), but my body feels great. So that's the most important thing. The way (head coach) Nick (Sirianni) and everyone here has handled it has been really helpful for me. "I feel like I'm entering my prime, so I just gotta have the mindset of listening to everyone, buying in to what they want me to do. And whatever I do, try to do it to the best of my ability." Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Saquon Barkley: Philadelphia Eagles' most intriguing players in 2025
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charles Barkley On Michael Jordan: "Only Player I Ever Played Against I Thought Was Better Than Me"
Charles Barkley On Michael Jordan: "Only Player I Ever Played Against I Thought Was Better Than Me" originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Charles Barkley is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and rightfully so. Barkley was a force of nature, and during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, he stated he didn't think anyone was better than him before he faced off against Michael Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals. "I did not think Michael Jordan was better than me till he beat me in the Finals," Barkley said. "Because when I was in Philly, we actually had success against them. Then they got good, and then they beat us in the playoffs one year, but I thought it was just because he had some better players around him." Barkley had an impressive 16-9 record against Jordan after their first 25 meetings. He had the upper hand in their rivalry, but the script would get flipped in the early 1990s. Jordan's Chicago Bulls beat Barkley's Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs in five games in 1990 and 1991. Barkley put that down to Jordan simply having better teammates than he did. He thought he would be back in the ascendancy once he had a good enough supporting cast. Barkley thought he finally had the pieces around him to show he was better than Jordan when he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1992 before the Olympics. While he was bursting with confidence, his Dream Team head coach Chuck Daly told him he was the second-best player in the world, behind Jordan. Barkley was determined to prove Daly wrong and told him he would get the better of Jordan when they faced off in the Finals next season. He proved to be on point about his prediction that the Bulls and Suns would get to the 1993 NBA Finals, but the series wouldn't go as he'd hoped. "I remember going home after Game 2," Barkley stated. "My daughter was upset, crying because we lost the first two games. I says, 'Hey, just relax. We're going to be fine.' And I said, 'But I got to tell you something. I ain't never said this in my life, I think that guy might be better at basketball than I am.' And I said, 'But I think I'm better and we'll be fine.'" The Suns seemed down and out because they had lost the first two games at home in Phoenix. With Barkley, the 1993 MVP, leading the way, though, they rebounded by winning two of the next three games in Chicago to reclaim home-court advantage in the series. "Come back home for Game 6 and [to] my daughter I says, 'I told you I think I'm the best player in the world, I'm going to prove it,'" Barkley said. "And then they beat us. I remember telling her, I says, 'I ain't never said this to you before, that guy's better at basketball than me.'" Barkley now had some good teammates of his own, like Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle on the Suns, but it still wasn't enough to beat Jordan and the Bulls. He had no choice but to admit he could no longer consider himself the best. "I thought Michael Jordan was a better player than me," Barkley added. "That's the only player I ever played against I thought was better than me." Barkley played incredibly well in the 1993 NBA Finals. He averaged 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, and you'd normally look back at that as quite a performance on the big stage, but he was completely overshadowed. Jordan averaged 41.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game against the Suns. He also shot 50.8% from the field 40% from beyond the arc, and unsurprisingly won Finals MVP. Jordan simply took his game to a level that Barkley couldn't reach. It would prove to be the latter's only trip to the NBA Finals in his career, and he has gone down as one of the best players never to win a championship. Jordan, meanwhile, is regarded as the greatest player of all time, and Barkley considers him to be the best ever as story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Philadelphia Eagles Unveil Unreal Super Bowl LIX Rings That Include Wings
The Philadelphia Eagles unveiled their Super Bowl LIX rings at the team's ring ceremony on Friday night — and they're sharp and large, to say the least. On the top of the ring is Philadelphia's logo with a pair of Super Bowl trophies, representing the franchise's two Super Bowl triumphs: Super Bowl LII (2017 NFL season) and Super Bowl LIX (2024 NFL season). One side of the ring has a player's individual number and last name on top of Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia's home stadium, with their respective signatures also included. Another side of the ring lists the scores of each of the Eagles' four playoff wins. Meanwhile, the ring has wings, with "YOU CAN'T BE GREAT WITHOUT" engraved on the left wing and "THE GREATNESS OF OTHERS" engraved on the right wing. Philadelphia defeated the Green Bay Packers (22-10), Los Angeles Rams (28-22) and NFC East-rival Washington Commanders (55-23) before taking down the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX (40-22), which came two years after the Chiefs beat the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Quarterback and two-time Pro Bowler Jalen Hurts was the MVP of Super Bowl LIX. Elsewhere, superstar running back Saquon Barkley, who spent the first six years of his career with the NFC East-rival New York Giants, rushed for an NFL-high 2,005 yards on a career-high 5.8 yards per carry in the regular season, becoming the ninth player in NFL history to post 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Barkley then set the NFL record for combined rushing yards in a single season (regular season plus postseason), finishing with 2,504 yards on the ground. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Zack Baun totaled 151 combined tackles and five forced fumbles, while fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean totaled 128 combined tackles. Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a team-high six interceptions, while rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean had a pick-six in Super Bowl LIX. In total, the Eagles were seventh in the NFL with 27.2 points and eighth with 367.2 total yards per game. Defensively, they were first with 278.4 total yards surrendered and second with 17.8 points surrendered per game. Philadelphia had six players earn Pro Bowl honors: Barkley, Baun, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, guard Landon Dickerson, offensive tackle Lane Johnson and center Cam Jurgens. The Eagles the 2025 regular season at home against the NFC East-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League Philadelphia Eagles recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
LA Rams Star Has Message for Eagles' Saquon Barkley
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Not many teams could slow down the Philadelphia Eagles' run game in 2024. Saquon Barkley was simply unstoppable for most of the year. The Los Angeles Rams found out firsthand not once, but twice. After the second meeting, which occurred during the Divisional Round in the 2024 NFL Playoffs, the Rams are extremely motivated to get another shot at the Eagles early on during the 2025 NFL season. The former third-round pick, Kobie Turner, recently revealed that the matchup against the Eagles is currently circled on the Rams' calendar for next season. It's not even training camp, and the Rams' defensive front is already placing focus on Barkley and the Eagles. "We're always training. I've had that loss in the back of my mind for a while," Turner told NFL Network. From The Insiders on @nflnetwork: As the #Eagles get their rings, #Rams DL Kobie Turner tips his cap. But of the Week 3 rematch: 'Man, we definitely have that game circled. I have that game circled. And I'm super excited to get another crack at those guys.' — Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 19, 2025 "I definitely have, I believe it is Week 3, circled. Even in the individual training right now, we're breaking down, 'Ok, this is how some of the guys, some of the offensive linemen for the Eagles, this is how they block, and this is how we're going to defeat that.' Ultimately, the thing that really got us last year is that there are a couple of big runs." Barkley is a home-run hitter. Once he got behind the Eagles' offensive line, which has been regarded as one of the best for years, the veteran running back hit an entirely different level. The Rams fell victim to quite a few home runs against the superstar rusher. Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Inglewood, California. Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Inglewood, their regular-season battle back in November, Barkley broke off a 70-yard touchdown run during the third quarter. He went for a 72-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter as well, to put the game way further out of reach. Barkley finished with 255 yards on 26 carries in the 37-20 Eagles victory. When the Rams and the Eagles met in the playoffs, Barkley followed up a 44-yard Jalen Hurts touchdown run with a 62-yarder for himself in the first quarter. Later in the game, Barkley had one of his most impactful runs of the year. Dashing through the snow, Barkley busted out a 78-yard touchdown to nearly ice the game. While the Eagles certainly allowed for the Rams to make it interesting, Philly ultimately won and advanced. Barkley finished with another 205 yards on 26 carries. "We stopped the run for the most part and handled it really well, but a couple of those runs where Saquon is able to get to the second level fast and he's super dangerous there," Turner added. "At the end of the day, it's about getting Saquon down, and that's what we're going to do a lot better of this year, making sure we stop the run. You guys saw what happened when it gets to third and long situations—second and long situations—guys come to life." Being the Super Bowl Champions, the Eagles made a lot of enemies in 2024. Since the Eagles defeated the Rams twice, it doesn't come as a surprise that Turner and the Rams can't wait to wipe the slate clean and go for revenge. "I'm just super excited to be able to run that back. Obviously, those guys are Super Bowl champs. They won it, and they deserve it, and whatnot, but this year is a new year," he finished. "Man, we definitely have that game circled. I definitely have that game circled, and I'm super excited to get another crack at those guys The Eagles and the Rams will meet in Philadelphia on September 21. For more Philadelphia Eagles and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports
USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley wins 'Best NFL Player' award at 2025 ESPYS
Saquon Barkley is having a year to remember. The running back cleaned up during the 2024 NFL season, receiving just about every award or honor a player could possibly ask for. He is a Super Bowl champion, an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, MVP finalist, the Offensive Player of the Year and even the Madden NFL 26 cover athlete. On July 16, Barkley learned that he would be making room for one more thing on the mantel – the ESPYS' "Best NFL Player" award. Barkley received the award over fellow nominees Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Surtain II. It's a continued run of success for the Eagles' running back, dating back to a big decision he made last offseason. Barkley famously traded in New York Giants' blue for Philadelphia Eagles' green. This offseason, Barkley was rewarded for his work in the City of Brotherly Love, inking a two-year, $41.2 million extension to remain with the Birds. Barkley rushed for a record 2,504 yards over the regular season and postseason and led the way for the Super Bowl 59 champions, who crushed the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game. It will be hard to top Barkley's 2024 season. While the awards keep rolling in, the Eagles' star is tasked with giving an encore performance as the 2025 season nears. For now, there is still a little time to bask in the glory before it's back to work.
