Eagles' Saquon Barkley blasts narrative about 'prime' coming off award-winning season

Ever since running back Saquon Barkley helped the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, numerous members of the NFL community have suggested that Barkley should have somewhat of a more decreased role in the Philadelphia offense during the upcoming season. 

For an article published on Thursday, Barkley spoke with Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated and insisted that the 2025 campaign "marks the beginning of his prime" as arguably the top overall offensive player in the sport.

"That [past prime] notion is so funny," Barkley said. "It’s bunk, all the running-back-position-is-dying [stuff]. You got wide receivers who [teams] pay all this money to, and when they get into their 30s, they’re not performing at the highest level; you just never hear that. How many quarterbacks can you name who played into their later 30s? Everyone’s not Tom Brady. They have to let that go!"

Barkley was referencing the often-discussed notion that a running back's physical prime expires once he turns 30 years old. While Barkley turned 28 in February, he has quite a noteworthy injury history. He suffered a torn ACL in September 2020, and he was sidelined for three games in the fall of 2023 because of an ankle issue.

The StatMuse website shows that Barkley led the NFL for the 2024 regular season with 378 total touches and 2,283 total yards from scrimmage. Back in June, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report shared why such stats are worrisome regarding what Barkley will and won't be later this year. 

"Since 2007, there have been 25 instances where a running back surpassed 370 touches in a season," Davenport noted. "Of that group, only two gained more total yardage the following year. ...Of the eight RBs to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, not one gained even 1,500 rushing yards the following year. Six of those backs missed time the following season. The average decline in rushing yards after a 2,000-yard campaign? 966 yards. Forty-seven percent."

Barkley led the NFL last season with 2,005 yards that he tallied on a league-high 345 carries. It seems like he has other goals in mind than winning another rushing title.

"People automatically associate a hell of a year with numbers," Barkley added during his comments. "That’s not what’s driving me."

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Eagles third among the betting favorites at +700 odds to win Super Bowl LX this coming February. Barkley and Co. will begin the pursuit of a second straight championship when Philadelphia hosts the Dallas Cowboys in the regular-season opener on Sept. 4.