Not everyone thinks Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is going to be up to the task of following up his bravura first season with the franchise.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport called out Barkley ahead of his 2025 campaign, predicting he’ll be a “bust” after rushing for over 2,000 yards, winning the Super Bowl and being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.
“(Barkley) played a massive role in the Philadelphia Eagles’ march to a championship, becoming the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a season,” Davenport wrote on June 26. “However he’s doomed in 2025 for numerous reasons. The first is last year’s workload. Barkley had 378 touches a season ago, putting him squarely in the crosshairs of the ‘Curse of 370.’ Since 2007, there have been 25 instances where a running back surpassed 370 touches in a season. Of that group, only two gained more total yardage the following year.”
Out of the 8 running backs in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a single season before Barkley, the average fall off in production was roughly by half — an average drop of 966 rushing yards.
Barkley Became NFL’s Highest Paid RB of All Time
The franchise made a historic move with Barkley on March 4, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting on a historic new contract for Barkley.
“Eagles are rewarding Saquon Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, per sources,” Schefter wrote on his official X account on March 4. “The deal makes Barkley the NFL’s first $20 million+ per-year running back. Barkley also has the ability to earn an additional $15 million in incentives and escalators. The deal includes $36 million fully guaranteed at signing. The Eagles are taking the rare step of extending Barkley one year into his three-year deal — and in the same league year in which they signed him to the initial contract.”
Barkley’s deal was highly unusual if only for the fact he signed a 3-year, $37.75 million free agent contract with the Eagles in March 2024. Barkley spent the first 6 seasons of his career with the New York Giants, where he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
Barkley reacted to the new of his new deal on his official Instagram account.
“Overflow!” Barkley wrote. “Grateful for the Eagles Organization , grateful for my team, grateful for the amazing fans in Philly. Fly Eagles Fly.”
Barkley Favored to Repeat as NFL Offensive POY
For Vegas oddsmakers, Barkley is the odds-on favorite to do what no NFL player has done in 25 years — win consecutive NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
According to Vegas Insider, Barkley is a runaway favorite to repeat as the award’s winner at +500 odds on Bet MGM and +650 odds on ESPN Bet. After Barkley, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (+900) and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (+1000) were next up.
In a 10-year stretch from 1994 to 2003, running backs were named NFL Offensive Player of the Year 9 times. That included the last player to repeat as winner, regardless of position, when Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk won 3 consecutive years from 1999 to 2001.
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