The Philadelphia Eagles surprised many when they invested big money into a running back during NFL free agency and signed Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal, but according to quarterback Jalen Hurts, it sounds like his new dual-threat weapon has already proven that he was worth the generous payday.
Hurts told reporters at the start of voluntary workouts earlier this week that Barkley, who has been with the team for just a month, has stepped into a leadership role and has been pushing the team to be better.
"I think he’s a hell of a player. He’s on this side now so that’s cool,” Hurts told reporters on Wednesday. “I think, for him, even in the short time of us having OTAs, you hear about the type of person he is, the type of leader he is in the room, the energy he brings to the room. That’s something that you can appreciate. That’s something I appreciate already. Just us competing in sprints or competing on the squat rack or doing things like that, where we’re challenging one another.
"Those are the things that set the thermostat for what the team is supposed to follow. Everything we’re talking about doing is just competing and going through these moments together and experiencing these things together and really pushing one another. I think he’s been great with that. I’ve built a good relationship with him just on short notice and we’ll continue to build on that.”
The Eagles kicked off phase one of offseason workouts on Monday, but Barkley and Hurts first got to work together over Easter weekend.
"I think that’s very important for all of those guys, taking the time and taking those moments to go out there and get the work in," Hurts said on the importance of showing up to voluntary workouts. "I think the actionable things on the field are so important because that’s where you develop trust, that’s where you develop that chemistry.
“Like I said, I know for myself and the short notice what type of mentality he has. We’ll continue to just develop what that looks like for us all together. We have a ton of opportunity in front of us but I think the most important thing is the mentality that the people have in the building. You want to get people that have a sense of culture about themselves, have a mentality about themselves and I think that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
It's great to see Hurts showing up and developing an early off-season bond with one of his key offensive weapons following the Eagles' devasting collapse in 2023.
It's also comforting knowing Barkley is so eager to step up after the team lost two of its most important leaders, Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce, to retirement.
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