After a historic 2024 season that saw Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley captivate the NFL landscape with over 2,000 yards rushing (2,005 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 13 touchdowns), many sensed that matching such a marvelous season would prove to be impossible for the bell cow back.
But a closer look at the reasons why Barkley still had a very strong, but not flat-out dominant 2025 campaign (1,140 yards, 4.1 yards per carry, seven touchdowns), can help explain why one can expect a return to even loftier numbers once more in 2026.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler penned a piece on a survey held for league executives, coaches, and scouts, with Barkley checking in at No. 3 in the running back rankings.
"Barkley proved how great he can be with a 2,000-yard season in 2024 behind Philly's elite offensive line, resulting in last year's No. 1 ranking. But the Eagles' line in 2025 was subpar by its standards. Barkley still produced 1,180 yards, but big gains were far less frequent. His four runs of 20-plus yards were 13 fewer than the previous year. His rushing yards over expected, as charted by NFL Next Gen Stats, went from second in the NFL in 2024 to 24th last season. Many voters did not knock him too harshly for that."
"I'm not going to penalize him for a terrible all-around offense last year," a high-ranking personnel official with an NFL team said. "He's still a three-down weapon and if I needed a running back for one season I'm still taking him 1."
"My only criticism is that he doesn't always produce when things aren't completely clean," an NFL coordinator said. "That's dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him."
External factors hindered Saquon Barkley's production last season
The anonymous executive nails it here, as anyone who tuned into Eagles games this past season saw two things far too frequently: a woeful offensive system which limited the big-play ability of its star players, and an elite offensive line routinely forced to shuffle talent like chairs on the Titanic due to assorted injuries.
Look no further for proof that Barkley's wheels remain not only fully intact, but as potent as anyone's, than his Week 8 effort against the Giants, where he exploded for a 65-yard run on his very first touch on the afternoon. Overall, per NextGen Stats and Forbes, Barkley achieved a top speed of 21.7 mph on the trip to paydirt, matching his highest mark in 2024.
With Jordan Mailata and Tyler Steen standing as the only Philadelphia offensive linemen not forced to miss time due to injuries, the playcalling and an ever-changing unit in the trenches presented tough sledding for Barkley to truly shine last year. The offensive line is back in good health, and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will bring a breath of fresh air with creativity and ways to once again maximize Barkley's all-world talents.
Barkley has expressed plenty of excitement as he settles into this new offense, one with more under-center looks and less shotgun overall. Both the system and the offensive line are so critical for any back to maximize their production, and both appear to be back to full strength in Philadelphia.
Read more: Eagles secret weapon could have expanded role in revamped offense
At 29 years old, Barkley remains an absolute machine in the backfield. His numbers remained strong this past season, but he's determined to take it back to that truly elite level in 2026. It wouldn't be wise to bet against such a remarkable talent returning to dominance this coming season.
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