Eagles' Saquon Barkley reveals mindset after first Super Bowl title of his career

One couldn't blame running back Saquon Barkley if he was still relishing the fact he became a first-time Super Bowl champion via the Philadelphia Eagles' 40-22 thrashing of the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday night.

However, Barkley made it known during a Thursday event that he's already thinking about how the Eagles can match what they achieved this season. 

"...When you accomplish it, you have fun in the moment, and then two nights ago I had a hard time sleeping because I’m thinking about how I’m going to attack the offseason. You kinda get — greedy is not the word — addicted to it," Barkley explained, as shared by Scott Thompson of Fox News Digital. "You want to find a way you can hold that [Vince Lombardi Trophy] up again and do it all over again. You take it in, you cherish it, you appreciate the fans. But the dynasty thing, you can’t get caught up in that. The way you do that is by putting the work in, and there’s a reason why we won and had the success we did. Try to do it all over again next year."

For a piece published Friday, Tim McManus of ESPN noted that key figures such as Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith being locked down via contracts should ensure that the Eagles remain contenders through at least next winter. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Philadelphia as the betting favorite at +650 odds to win Super Bowl LX roughly 12 months from now. 

As for Barkley, he played in two playoff games and just one postseason win while with the New York Giants from the opening night of the 2018 NFL Draft through the 2023 season. He's now the reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year who will receive a Super Bowl ring before the 2025 campaign gets underway. 

"If you would’ve told me when I was 19 or 20 years old that it would take me seven years to have the type of year I did and to win the Super Bowl, I probably wouldn’t have thought that was the case. But that’s life," Barkley added on Thursday. "There’s adversity, there’s ups and downs, and I think the fact I didn’t lose faith and I had the right mindset during those times, when my time was meant to come, I was ready for it. I think that definitely helps."

Barkley's ability to bounce back from physical setbacks and from multiple down seasons with the Giants helped him become "the leader" of a Philadelphia team that is eyeing a dynastic run. The 28-year-old already sounds eager to get back to work regarding the Eagles' upcoming defense of their title.