Why The Never-Changing Mentality Of Saquon Barkley Wins Over Eagles Teammates

Off the field, where the star running back always has time for fans, shows another side to the back who had more than 2,500 rushing yards just two years ago.

Eagles Saquon Barkley signs a football for a fan after a training camp practice in August, 2026. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – The new guy called it the best running-back room he has ever been a part of. Granted, he’s just 23, and there is only the pro RB room he has ever been in, but the other one was also, like the Eagles - a recent Super Bowl-winning one.

The Eagles’ locker room, though, has more than a Super Bowl pedigree. It’s also home to one of the league's best runners – Saquon Barkley. The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t have a running back like that in their room, one with 2,504 yards in a single season, counting playoffs, just two seasons ago.

“I don’t want to make him sound old, but I’ve been watching him for a long time now,” said the new guy, Carson Steele, who KC had signed as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA via Ball State in 2024.

“It’s amazing to see it every day. Sometimes people take it for granted, but just watching him and all the success he’s had and now being him as your mentor, being in a room, learning from him has really helped me.”

Barkley is more than that. Despite the stifling heat and humidity, he and a few teammates played with several kids after Monday's practice. Rarely a day goes by, either, when he doesn’t strip off his pads and sign footballs, jerseys, and whatever else for fans. Again, in the heat and humidity. After practice, drenched in sweat.

Saquon Barkley Has Opened Newcomer's Eyes

Eagles fullback/running back Carson Steele likes what he has seen from Saquon Barkley on and off the field. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

“That’s the one thing I wish people could see,” said Steele. “Not even as a football player, he’s just a great dude. Outside of football, talking about life, talking about how things are going, stuff like that. He’s a really great dude.”

Steele signed a futures contract with the Eagles in the offseason. His odds of making the team are probably long, but he is soaking up the “Barkley knowledge,” which he hopes will make him better in the future. And Steele did make three starts for the Chiefs as a fullback and had 72 yards in one game.

Barkley never seems to change. Tank Bigsby is in his second season with the star back and expected to be his primary backup.

“Seeing that mentality he has, and he carries it day-to-day,” said Bigsby. “At camp, you get to learn different people’s personalities because at camp you get tired. You get to see who a guy is when things aren’t going their way. There are just ups and downs. But at the end of the day, you get to see different things. Just seeing how he carries himself and is the same person every day is special.

As for Barkley. He’s 29 now, and he probably has more of a past than a future. There was an interesting question asked of me on a recent podcast: “Will we see a Saquon Barkley closer to his 2024 season when he ran for 2,005 yards in 16 regular-season games, or one who was loser to last year’s version, when he had 1,140?”

My guess is it will be around 1,500. This offense has been an adjustment for everyone, but Barkley seems to be picking it up quickly. He has had an A-plus camp.

“With Saquon, it’s really just getting him the ball and giving him the opportunity to make special things happen,” said Will Shipley. “I think this offense does a great job of that.”