The Philadelphia Eagles dominated throughout the 2024 campaign, and the end result saw them destroy the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX with a 40-22 victory. Everybody in the organization played a big role in the team’s historic season, but the addition of superstar running back Saquon Barkley may have been the biggest reason why the Eagles ended up winning a championship last season.
After the New York Giants let him hit the open market last offseason, Philadelphia pounced and signed Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million contract in free agency. By the time the 2024 season ended, Barkley had authored one of the greatest individual seasons by a running back in NFL history. According to the man himself, there was one key development that he believes helped him reach the heights he hit in his first season with the Eagles.
Saquon Barkley Credits his Faith When Discussing 2024 Campaign
After being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley spent the first six seasons of his career with the New York Giants. While Barkley always flashed the potential to rip off a big play, injuries and the overall anemic state of New York’s offense prevented him from being able to consistently reach his ceiling. Barkley’s rookie season, which saw him rack up over 2,000 total yards and 15 touchdowns, ended up being his best campaign with the Giants.
Given his inconsistent play for New York, there were concerns about how Barkley would pan out for Philadelphia. He ended up leading the NFL in rushing attempts (345), rushing yards (2,005) and rushing yards per game (125.3) on his way to earning his first All-Pro First Team selection, and the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year Award. Simply put, Barkley was historically good for Philly last season.
On the surface, it may seem like a simple change of scenery may have done the trick when it comes to unlocking Barkley’s full potential. Instead, he believes that it was religion that helped him, as Barkley cited his Christian faith as a primary reason for behind what is now recognized as the greatest season of his career so far.
“I just became a Christian not too long ago,” Barkley said in a video on Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel. “For me, I don’t think it’s a coincidence the best year I had in my career, I found my faith. It gives me some clarity in life.”
Saquon Barkley Looking to Run it Back with the Eagles in 2025
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
It’s going to be tough for Barkley to build off of his 2024 campaign, but that’s what he’s going to look to do. After racking up a laundry list of accolades and winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles, the bar has been set high, but Barkley has always been up for a challenge, and based on what we saw him do last season, it doesn’t seem like a good idea to bet against him.
Earlier this offseason, Barkley was rewarded with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension by Philadelphia, ensuring that he will be with the team for the long-term future. There are certainly still injury concerns surrounding Barkley, but now that he has truly unlocked his faith, there’s reason to believe that he could put together just as good of a season in 2025 for the Eagles as they look to repeat as champions.
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