The Philadelphia Eagles don't necessarily need Saquon Barkley to rush for 2,000 yards again. What they may need is a more versatile version of the star running back.
During Thursday's joint practice with the New England Patriots, Barkley continued to show
signs that Philadelphia's offense intends to feature him in multiple ways.According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Reuben Frank, after the Eagles spent significant portions of the summer incorporating running backs into the passing game, joint practice followed that same blueprint."The Eagles have never had a running back with 300 receiving yards in a season under Nick Sirianni. Their last 300-yard receiving back was Miles Sanders, with 509 yards back in 2019, and, along with the Rams, they’re
one of just two NFL teams without a 300-yard receiving back since 2021... On Day 1 of joint practices with the Patriots outside Gillette Stadium, the Eagles spent a good chunk of the day working on the running game with Saquon Barkley and getting Barkley and the other backs involved in the passing game."
Barkley has historically shown he can be one of the NFL's most dangerous weapons in the passing game. His 91 receptions as a rookie in 2018 remain an NFL record for a first-year running back. Lane Johnson spoke with the media during joint practices vs. thePatriots, and he seems fully confident in his teammate returning to his 2024 form.
"I think all in all, the more productive we are in the run game and stuff feeds off that, that we'll see the Saquon of two years ago. We'll see the big plays. We'll see him flex wide at wide receiver [and] we'll see him in the screen game, so [we saw] just a little bit of it today. Yeah, with the way the offense is flowing, the first three periods were really good. I wish we would have finished better in the last period, but [it was] a really good day."
Expectations remain high as the Eagles may be expanding Barkley's role
Johnson's comments suggest Philadelphia's vision for Barkley extends beyond traditional handoffs. Long before he became a 2,000-yard rusher, Barkley demonstrated he can be one of the most productive receiving backs the league had ever seen.
That history makes recent observations from training camp noteworthy. They reinforce the idea that the Eagles star may be an outstanding weapon if more opportunities are created for him to operate in space. Stats will be a discussion, but perhaps we all should also acknowledge that part of the challenge Barkley faces is that the standards that are now placed on him may be, at times, be impossible to satisfy.
After rushing for 2,005 yards and earning Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2024, virtually any follow-up season was bound to feel less spectacular. Yet his 2025 campaign was productive by almost any objective measure. Barkley rushed for 1,140 yards in 16 games, added 273 receiving yards, and scored nine total touchdowns.
Most running backs would gladly accept those numbers. In many instances, that earns guys Pro Bowl votes. In Barkley's case, this type of season is now considered 'an off year.'
Barkley is judged against a different benchmark, and that's understandable. When a player joins a club occupied by only nine 2,000-yard rushers in NFL history, expectations naturally change, but there's a reason why only nine players in 106 years have accomplished that feat. It's pretty tough to do.
That is why Johnson's comments were so interesting. He wasn't simply predicting another historic rushing season. Instead, he described an offense that could put Barkley in more situations to create explosive plays, whether as a runner, receiver, or mismatch weapon lined up away from the backfield.
If that vision becomes reality, Barkley's success may not be measured solely by rushing totals. The Eagles appear interested in maximizing everything he can do, and that could make him one of the offense's most important chess pieces regardless of whether he ever approaches 2,000 yards again.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Lane Johnson predicts expanded role for Saquon Barkley
