The Philadelphia Eagles are back in the Super Bowl, set to face the Kansas City Chiefs once again.
After a tumultuous 2023 season, where they suffered a major collapse, the team has been revitalized largely due to the addition of Saquon Barkley.
Barkley has been nothing short of sensational, rushing for 2,005 yards during the regular season and maintaining that dominance in the postseason.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was asked about the impact of Barkley’s addition and was careful not to oversell it.
“I’d like to say he’s exceeded expectations, but he’s always been one of the best players I’ve ever seen whenever I’ve watched him and I have always known about what kind of person he is because it’s not hard to find that out,’ Roseman told ESPN.
“So I’m really not surprised by any of this, and I don’t say that in an arrogant way, it’s based on who he is, nothing to do with me, because this is who he’s always been. And I’m just glad everyone gets to see that.”
Barkley was a free agent last offseason after an impressive start to his career with the New York Giants. However, the Giants, far removed from Super Bowl contention, opted to part ways with him.
In response, Barkley has had a career-defining season with the Eagles, their biggest rivals, and is now poised to showcase his talent on the grandest stage.
Barkley’s first season with the Eagles has culminated in a Super Bowl appearance, where his stellar performances have been a major reason for the team’s success.
His dominant play down the stretch helped the Eagles recover from injuries to quarterback Jalen Hurts, particularly in critical wins over the Packers and Rams.
With his incredible season now entering its final chapter, Barkley’s talents will be front and center on Super Bowl Sunday.
In the AFC Championship, the Chiefs struggled to stop James Cook of the Buffalo Bills, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 13 attempts.
While Cook’s impact was significant, the Eagles won’t hesitate to feed Barkley the ball when it matters most, which could prove to be a game-changer.
With the leadership of Howie Roseman and the addition of Barkley, the Eagles have built a championship-caliber roster, combining savvy draft picks and strategic acquisitions to create a Super Bowl contender.
Having said that, the fact of the matter is the Giants made the right decision to let Barkley leave in free agency.
Sure, Big Blue would’ve loved for him to end up with any other team than the Eagles, but the bottom line is the Giants offered him a generous deal to stay, and he declined.
At the end of the day, the Giants are so far off from competing for a Super Bowl that it would be insane to commit such a large chunk of the salary cap to a running back.
It goes without saying that Barkley wouldn’t have put up anywhere near the numbers he has this season if he was still playing for the Giants.
Having Barkley on the 2024 Giants would be the equivalent of having Mariano Rivera on the 2024 Chicago White Sox.
What are your thoughts on the whole Barkley situation?
Do you think he and the Eagles will knock off the Chiefs on Sunday and ruin their dreams of a Super Bowl three-peat???
