The Philadelphia Eagles crumbled through December and January this past season. Despite their 10-1 start, a highlight including their victory in a Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles reversed to a 1-6 finish to end the season, including a loss to the Giants in Week 18.
Saquon Barkley and the Giants have been longtime rivals of the Eagles. In that Week 18 finale, Barkley ran for two scores on 18 carries, which doomed the Eagles to take the NFC’s #5 seed, a result that ended the Eagles’ season the next weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Philadelphia Eagles Present RB Situation
The Philadelphia Eagles currently employ four running backs. These players are D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Rashaad Penny. Early in the 2023 season, these four players all found sweet harmony together, combining to lead what was once the 2nd-ranked rushing attack in the league. The highs of back-to-back 200 yard performances from this unit in Weeks 2 and 3 fell away rapidly as the season went on.
This unit’s failure to generate yards for the Eagles was a key reason for the multiple losses the Eagles suffered down the stretch, including both their loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, and their stunning upset defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.
The ultimate low point for the Philadelphia ground game came in that Wild Card loss to Tampa, where they only gained 42 yards on the ground.
Is Saquon The Right Choice?
Saquon Barkley has faced a career of ups and downs. From a sensational rookie campaign, to several injuries that have hampered his production, Barkley has emerged as one of the best in the league even still. The Philadelphia Eagles have beaten down on Barkley and the Giants plenty during Saquon’s six years in blue, as the Giants have triumphed only once over the team from Pennsylvania.
Barkley will turn 28 years old days before Super Bowl 59, and Running Backs will not hold up very long after they hit this point. But to a ground game that fell away after such a strong start, the Eagles may wish to seek Barkley’s services.
Giants Fan Reacts To This Possibility
To see Saquon Barkley leave for a division rival as hated as the Philadelphia Eagles would be one of many devastating moments the fanbase has experienced in the past decade. From watching Odell Beckham Jr. being traded in 2019, to several missed draft opportunities involving players who would become future stars, Saquon turning coat to an in-divison rival would be another bad moment for a team stuck in neutral in the league’s bottom third.
Regardless of Joe Schoen’s pursuit of reeling Barkley back in, the overwhelming feeling many have is that Barkley will indeed not stay in New York going forward.
