Saquon Barkley Reflects on Change to Offseason Approach

Newsweek

5 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
In his first year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Saquon Barkley put together a strong regular season campaign that had him knocking on the door of history. As he prepares to help the franchise compete for another championship, the star running back opened up on how he approached the offseason differently.
Barkley has long been a fierce competitor who is constantly striving to push himself to his limits. However, thanks to proper guidance from those around him, the Eagles' back was implored to prioritize getting his body right. After being a focal point of Philadelphia's offense all year, Barkley was due for well-deserved downtime to let himself recoup physically.
During minicamp, Barkley opened up on how this offseason was different compared to previous years. A more lax approach has paid off for him, as he feels his body is in a good place heading into the 2025 campaign.
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."You've just got to be smarter, right? You have your moments where you go in there and you grind, you push it," Barkley said, via ESPN. "But the majority of those days is just mobility, conditioning, doing all the things to get your body in shape to perform at a high level. It was a lot of workload [last year], but my body feels great, so that's the most important thing. It wasn't hard because everyone I trust told me basically to sit my ass down for a little bit."
Coming off a season that ended in a Super Bowl victory, the Eagles will be looking to avoid the infamous "championship hangover." Hearing that Barkley lightened his offseason load slightly might be concerning for some, but the team is far from worried. In fact, head coach Nick Sirianni was more than pleased with what he saw from Barkley during minicamp.
"We kind of monitored everybody as we went," Sirianni said. "We got a lot of good work in, Saquon got a lot of good work in and yeah, I'm pleased with how the offseason program has gone."
Despite having to adjust to a new team, Barkley was one of the NFL's most impactful players in 2024. He took home Offensive Player of the Year honors along with finishing third in MVP voting after totaling nearly 2,300 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns. Barkley's dominance didn't end there, as he rushed for 499 yards and five TDs in the postseason.
Heading into this season, Barkley is going to be a focal point of the offense once again. Given his documented injury history, managing his workload in the offseason is the smart approach. Now, the star back seems poised to deliver another impressive campaign in year two with the Eagles.