How former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley fits with the Philadelphia Eagles

Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is returning home to Pennsylvania. The sixth-year NFL running back finally hit free agency after being selected by the New York Giants with the second-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and is now a Philadelphia Eagle. 

Former Giants RB Saquon Barkley reached agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75M and includes $26M fully guaranteed at signing, per sources.

Barkley now beats the franchise tag number and has a maximum… pic.twitter.com/d2TnEWhaQ0

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024

Barkley bet on himself last season with the Giants, signing a one-year deal to avoid the franchise tag. Now, he cashes in with NFL history’s second-highest average yearly salary. While the full details of the contract, which was announced hours into the legal tampering period of NFL Free Agency, are yet unknown, it’s a massive deal for Barkley regardless of the term length. His fully guaranteed money of 26 million dollars is just behind Christian McCaffrey’s 30 million, which was part of a four-year extension he signed with the Carolina Panthers before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers, according to overthecap.com. 

The Eagles hope that Barkley can revitalize the team’s rushing attack, which took a step back last season under first-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, who replaced Shane Steichen after the team’s Super Bowl run in 2022 landed him a head coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Eagles looking for familiar Penn State spark in the backfield

The Eagles posed massive problems for NFL defenses in 2023, with receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith stretching the defense deep and fellow former Penn State running back Miles Sanders taking advantage of the room they created. The team generated 96 explosive run plays in 2022, which led the NFL. They still managed a top-half of the NFL performance in 2023, but that number was nearly cut in half with 53 explosive runs last year. 

Barkley is known for his big-play running style at Penn State and in the pros. Despite missing most of the 2020 and 2022 seasons with injuries, the former Penn State running back has still been a dangerous runner. He’s generated 2,002 yards on breakaway runs, according to PFF. The old Barkley began to re-emerge last year, with 31.7% of his rushing yards coming on these types of runs. That figure was good for seventh among running backs with starting-level touches. 

Jalen Hurts is the answer and the issue

Part of the team’s issue last season was the health of starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts played injured for most of the season, which limited his effectiveness in read option and quarterback run stations. It’s a problem similar to the one that Penn State experienced last season with a lack of explosive plays.

Interestingly, the Eagles have run the most read option of any NFL team since head coach Nick Siriani took over in 2021. Hurts’ injury compounded the schematic issues that the offense failed to overcome, resulting in their second-half collapse in 2023. With Barkley and Hurts in the backfield, the Philadelphia offense could get back what it did so well during its Super Bowl run. Being in the backfield with Hurts could be the key to putting the former Penn State All-American back at the top of the NFL rushing charts. The Eagles are also known for having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and will be near the top of those lists again this year, even with the retirement of former All-Pro center Jason Kelce. The team also resigned standout left guard Landon Dickerson to a four-year extension today to keep the core of the line intact.

The offense will have a new look this upcoming season with former Cowboys and Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore taking over in Philly. Moore is no stranger to having a star running back to lean on. Former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was second in the NFL with 1352 touches during that time and fifth with 148 explosive runs.