Everyone on the Philadelphia Eagles' offense has to adjust to the new scheme that offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is bringing with him from the Green Bay Packers.
The big difference for the Eagles in the new system is that they will be under center more often, which running back Saquon Barkley has acknowledged that he has to work on. One way Barkley will do that? He's been speaking to a former NFL running back to help him out.
“There’s a lot of guys that do it in the system right now, but one guy that I’ve been focused on and talked to him a little bit over Instagram, Todd Gurley,” Barkley said via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro. “Watching his film. Obviously, it’s a little bit different, but the big years he had when he was playing, when he was healthy, the way that he attacked it.”
Saquon Barkley has been turning to Todd Gurley to help him prepare for the new offense
Gurley is not a bad player to talk to about this, given his stellar six-year NFL career with the Rams and Falcons. He finished with 6,082 yards and 67 touchdowns after being a three-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year. Gurley twice led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2017 (13) and 2018 (17).
Barkley could use any advantage to get back on track, as his 2025 campaign did not go well. He went from rushing for 2,005 yards in 2024 to 1,140 yards in 2025. The drop-off was noticeable, with his average yards per carry down from 5.8 in 2024 to 4.1 last season.
A change in offense can only benefit Barkley, with a fresh pair of eyes on it, and Mannion can bring an innovative approach to helping him find open holes in the running game and get him rolling. In the past, the Eagles have struggled as a team when they can't run the football, so it'll be important to see Barkley get the job done.
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It was a long offseason for Barkley, who had to hear it from everyone about his down year. He's got a chance to completely flip the script in 2026 and get back on track to remind everyone how he got over 2,000 yards rushing in 2024.
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