Year 2 of the Eagles' Saquon Barkley era has not gone as expected. After signing a two-year $41.2 million contract extension in March that's set to keep him in Philadelphia till 2028 (age 31 season), Barkley has followed up his 2,000-yard 2024 campaign with an anemic 2025.
This led to Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon giving Barkley a title he never thought he would receive: Eagles' biggest disappointment in 2025 so far.
"The 2024 Offensive Player of the Year has fallen off a cliff. He's yet to hit 100 yards in a game, and his yards-per-attempt average has dropped from 5.8 to 3.3. This dramatic decline raises questions about his performance."
Barkley was a much different running back in 2024 versus 2025
Barkley led the league in touches in 2024 and now will have to answer questions about his durability come the final stretch of the 2025 regular season. In addition to having 378 touches in the 2024 regular season (not playing in week 18), Barkley added another 104 during the Eagles' championship run.
With running backs, durability concerns are always an issue that oftentimes warrant NFL general managers closing their wallets for aging backs. With the career lifespan of an NFL running back influenced by workload, the Eagles have tried to integrate Will Shipley, A.J. Dillon, and Tank Bigsby into the game plan; however, they have failed to replicate the success of the 2024 rushing output.
With Barkley's decline in production and the fact that he's owed almost an additional $70 million over the next three and a half seasons, Eagles fans have to wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Barkley and if Howie Roseman threw all his chips into the 2024 season for a Super Bowl.
The question remains: was it worth it? If Barkley's production continues to decline to the point where he becomes a shell of his former self, will the Eagles "eat" the contract due to his performance in the 2024 season, which ended with numerous personal awards and a championship title?
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While the Eagles have been dealing with inconsistencies on the offensive line, it is clear that no one predicted this great a drop-off in Barkley's production. Barkley and the Eagles are set to take on the Giants in Week 8, with the hope of Saquon bouncing back statistically, in addition to getting a win against their division rivals.