After setting numerous career highs in 2019, the Philadelphia Eagles expect big things from Derek Barnett during the 2020 season.
Around this time three years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles decided to take on a risk in the first round by selecting Derek Barnett in the first round at No. 14 following an impressive career at Tennessee.
At the time, there were plenty of experts that believed the Eagles jumped the gun on this selection since Barnett’s talents didn’t seem to line up with going this early in the round, but at least he has found a way to make somewhat of an impact for the most part over the years.
Without question, the most memorable moment of Barnett’s career in Philadelphia to date will be the epic fumble recovery in 2018 during the Super Bowl following Brandon Graham’s sack and strip on Tom Brady towards the end of the contest.
But when it comes to Barnett’s future with the Eagles beyond the 2020 season will be like, this remains a mystery at the moment since Philadelphia faces a difficult decision over the next few months.
Since Barnett is a former first-round pick, the Eagles have the chance to pick up the fifth-year option on the young defender’s contract if they believe it would be worth keeping him around, which unfortunately is easier said than done to figure out.
Barnett coming off a career year in 2019 after starting 14 games while recording 6.5 sacks would make it seem like the Eagles have an easy decision on their hands, but also there are some concerns as well.
From all the frustrations surrounding unnecessary penalties to some of the injuries that unfortunately resulted in some missed time over the last two seasons, it’s easy to understand why Philadelphia isn’t exactly rushing their decision regarding Barnett.
Then again, if there is one positive factor to take away from a situation like this, it should be the extra motivation Barnett should be feeling at the moment to prove to the Eagles that he does in fact deserve to stick around for the 2021 season, if not longer.
Obviously, just because Barnett is coming off a career year in 2019 doesn’t necessarily mean this trend will continue heading into next season since he still has plenty to prove, but Philadelphia would love nothing more than to see him build off this success.
Professional athletes are always looking for new ways to find motivation to elevate their games to higher levels, and if Barnett takes all of these factors into consideration, this will be great news for the Eagles’ defense in 2020.
Plus, if Barnett does in fact find a way to display better numbers in 2020 from a year ago, this could potentially lead to a hefty new long-term deal down the road with the Eagles, which would work out great for both parties.