NFL had humorous response to Eagles' Saquon Barkley's viral leap

The NFL and other sports leagues have been known to drug test players coming off impressive performances produced by those athletes during games. 

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley learned this directly after he went viral via one of the season's top highlight-reel moments during Philadelphia's 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday. 

"I got drug tested right after the game," Barkley revealed during the latest edition of the "Air It Out" podcast, as shared by Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.

Of course, Barkley taking to the skies for a backward hurdle over a defender isn't the only reason he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and also a knock on his door from drug testers. In total, he rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries to go along with three receptions for 40 yards and another score versus the Jaguars. 

Those who have watched Barkley since his days at Penn State likely weren't shocked to see him pull off such an athletic feat. It turns out he had something else in mind right before he completed his video game move. 

"What really happened was I was going to hit a double spin," Barkley admitted during the podcast episode. "I aborted it. So when I spun, I went to spin again and I just like, it’s probably going to take away from how cool the play is, I really kind of, I thought he was going low, so I was just like, it'll be cool if I did jump up. But you know, my body kind of took over." 

The Barkley leap will be relived through replays and montages for years to come, but fans shouldn't expect him to attempt a similar move anytime soon. According to Doric Sam of Bleacher Report, Barkley said he "ain't trying to do that again." 

Individuals within the Eagles would likely prefer for Barkley to avoid such risky plays whenever possible for reasons that go beyond the fact that the club signed him to a three-year, $37.75M contract that could be worth up to $46.75M with $26M fully guaranteed this past offseason. 

Per the StatMuse website, Barkley entered Thursday ranked second in the NFL with 1,071 scrimmage yards for the season. He recorded six rushing touchdowns and a pair of receiving scores over his first eight games with Philadelphia. 

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 6-2 Eagles as seven-point favorites for this coming Sunday's game at a 3-5 Dallas Cowboys side that is hurting in multiple ways this fall.