Saquon Barkley has already given Eagles fans a highlight they’ll never shake, but he doesn’t want that to be the whole story.
The backward hurdle against the Jacksonville Jaguars became the play everybody replayed from Barkley’s 2024 season, and it even helped land him on the Madden 26 cover. Barkley knows exactly how big it was. Still, he made it clear he’d rather be attached to more than one viral moment.
"When I got to the locker room and got to see the play, I realized I was able to do something pretty cool," Barkley said to USA Today’s Chris Bumbaca. "It's something, it's a play I'll never forget. But I also don't want to be remembered for that play.
"I'm happy I was able to make that play. But I'm ready for the next one."
That doesn’t mean the hurdle is the only thing Eagles fans will carry from Barkley’s time in Philadelphia. His 2024 season was the kind of year backs dream about: a career-high 2,005 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, a Super Bowl win and Offensive Player of the Year honors. But there’s another image from that run that may stick just as hard in Philly - the long touchdown in the snow against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, the score that pushed the Eagles to a two-possession lead and helped seal the win.
That Rams game opened the door to the rest of the playoff run, with the Eagles then beating the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
Barkley’s 2025 season was a different story. He finished with 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns, still solid production, just not the kind of year that matched the standard he set the season before.
Now, heading into the 2026 season, Barkley sounds intent on changing the conversation again. With Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator, the setup is different, and the hope is that it helps get Barkley rolling on the ground. If he wants fans to remember him for more than the Jacksonville hurdle, the formula is simple: keep stacking runs, touchdowns and moments that last.
In Other News...
Yankees Just Lost A Deadline Target They Could Not Afford To Lose
The Yankees went into deadline season looking for help behind the plate, with a right-handed bat at catcher near the top of the wish list and an outfield upgrade also in play. For a while, Minnesota looked like one of the cleaner fits, since Ryan Jeffers and Byron Buxton were both names that could have addressed needs the Yankees have been trying to solve as July winds down.
Instead, the Twins have taken those names off the board, leaving New York to keep scanning the market for alternatives. The Mets have become part of that conversation, with the Yankees at least exploring whether a deal for Tyrone Taylor or Luis Torrens could make sense, while interest in Francisco Alvarez comes with a steep asking price that makes any move there far from simple. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Lose Another Deadline Fit As Cashman Runs Out Of Time
Spencer Steers injury took one more name off the Yankees deadline board, and it came at a time when Brian Cashman is still trying to sort out how aggressively to attack the outfield market. The Reds outfielder had been one of the more logical fits for a club looking for right-handed help, but his availability disappeared just as the Yankees continue to weigh a handful of other options with varying appeal.
Lane Thomas, Jo Adell, Jorge Polanco and George Springer remain among the names in the mix, though none comes without some kind of drawback. With the deadline clock ticking, Cashman is left trying to balance urgency against fit, and the list of realistic targets keeps getting thinner as the market sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Deadline Buzz Points To A Rotation Move Fans Will Recognize
The trade deadline always has a way of pulling familiar names back into the conversation, and this one fits the Yankees usual search for pitching help. Seattles rotation depth gives other clubs a reason to ask around, and Emerson Hancock has the kind of profile that tends to draw interest: young, controllable, and still early enough in his career to fit a team looking beyond just the next few weeks.
For New York, the appeal is obvious because the front office rarely passes on a chance to add another arm if the price is right. The wrinkle is that the Yankees may not be alone, with Chicago also believed to be involved, which could turn a straightforward fit into a more competitive market before the deadline gets here. [Read more 🡒]
