Last season was not a great season for Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, but things can only go up from here.
Barkley had one of the worst seasons of his career, finishing the 2025 season with 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. This comes off a year where he rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024. The Athletic's Zach Berman answered a fan's question about how the running game and Barkley will look in 2026, putting a floor on Barkley's stats.
"As much attention as the Eagles’ passing struggles received in 2025, I actually think the offseason changes had more to do with trying to unlock the running game. The Eagles felt there were yards left on the field last season, and I expect this to be a run-oriented offense. The wide-zone blocking scheme and more under-center runs will be the most noticeable differences. This question comes down to the health of the offensive line. If the top players are healthy, I expect the Eagles to run the ball effectively. And if the Eagles run the ball effectively, Saquon Barkley’s production will reflect as much.Â
Among the top 10 running backs in the NFL last season, Bijan Robinson, De’Von Achane, Kyren Williams and Christian McCaffrey all played in offenses with roots from the system that Mannion will run in Philadelphia. Williams rushed for 1,252 yards on 259 carries. I think both of those numbers should be considered the floor for Barkley this season."
Would Saquon Barkley's floor in 2026 be considered a good season?
Diving deep into the numbers, if Barkley got 1,252 yards in 2026, that would be the fourth-best season of his now nine-year career. Barkley's potential 4.8 yards per carry would be the third-best of his career. Getting 1,252 yards would have been the sixth-best in the NFL last year.
Overall, that would be considered a great season for a 29-year-old player in the back half of his career. This would be a good step in the right direction after last year's struggle.
There is a chance, though, that Barkley could see his numbers drop depending on what happens with the Eagles' offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, and whether backup Tank Bigsby is used. Eagles fans want to see Bigsby more involved in the offense, but the more important part is Barkley averaging more than the 4.1 yards per carry he had last season.
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If Barkley can reach 1,252 yards in 2026, it could also improve his chances of staying with the team longer. No one would complain about keeping him around, as long as he continues to put up those kinds of stats.
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