Saquon's Season Is No Surprise to Eagles' Exec

PHILADELPHIA - The “Saquon Season” In Philadelphia will culminate 1,220 miles away in New Orleans when the 17-3 Philadelphia Eagles try to wrest the NFL crown away from the 17-2 Kansas City Chiefs.

For six seasons Saquon Barkley was the ultra-talented, should-be superstar stuck in the league's version of Siberia: the mismanaged New York Giants.

About 90 miles south in Philadelphia, Eagles GM Howie Roseman was always willing to veer from his perceived path if the opportunity arrived for a player he has always regarded as more “weapon” than running back.

That came in March of last year when Giants GM Joe Schoen tapped out on the idea of building on the foundation of a running back and Roseman happily pounced with a three-year, $37.75 million deal for Barkley.

For years, Roseman had been portrayed as one of the trendsetters in the devalued RB crowd but the truth was far different. The Eagles GM always had outliers he would have invested heavily in like Christian McCaffrey in the 2017 and Bijan Robinson in 2023.

Barkley was also on that small list in 2018 when he went No. 2 overall to the Giants and the Eagles were coming off their Super Bowl LII win.

Recently asked if the Eagles, who started at No. 32 (the pick that ended up being Lamar Jackson) before trading down and ultimately landing tight end Dallas Goedert in the second round, showed interest in him as a rookie coming out Barkley couldn’t help but smile.

"My draft process was kinda different I guess,” he said. “I was viewed to be a high pick so a lot of those conversations was ‘Yep, we're not gonna be able to get you.’"

It took six years but the Eagles were finally in the ‘we could get him camp” and Roseman didn’t hesitate.

The results were other-worldly with a better-supporting cast. Running behind one of the best offensive lines of the generation and with the impact of Jalen Hurts’ plus-one effect added to the ground game, Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards with 2,005 total, 101 shy of Eric Dickerson’s record.

Barkley came that close despite sitting out Week 18 and being removed early from a host of Eagles’ blowout wins during the season.

The postseason success only ramped with 119 yards against Green Bay, 205 vs. the Los Angeles Rams, and 118 in the NFC Championship Game against Washington where he set the tone with a 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ first offensive play.

Barkley will arrive at Super Bowl LIX with 2,447 rushing yards and needs just 30 more to break Terrell Davis’ single-season record (including the playoffs).

You would think having the best rushing season in history would be enough to exceed expectations.

Not for Roseman.

"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,” Rosman said. “I have always known about what kind of person he is because it's not hard to find that out. 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."

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