Oct 27, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Katie Stratman
Lane Johnson didn't mince words during the bye week with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.
At 2-2, Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson went to Sirianni with a philosophy adjustment they wanted to see after the bye week.
“A lot of it was, we got Saquon f***ing Barkley back there,” Johnson told Sirianni, he revealed on the latest episode of 'unCovering The Birds'. “Let’s give him the f***ing ball.”
Though Barkley got 18 carries in Week 6's 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns, he had his least effective game of the season, rushing for just 48 yards. However, Barkley has been excellent in the three games since, a major factor in the Eagles winning four games in a row.
Week 7 vs. New York Giants: 17 carries for 176 yards and one rushing touchdown
Week 8 vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 22 carries for 108 yards
Week 9 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 27 carries for 159 yards and two total touchdowns
This angle of the Eagles' bench reacting to Saquon's hurdle is awesome!
Video: ziglock1 on TikTok
pic.twitter.com/mqdWNfYro5
Barkley now has 925 rushing yards on the season, which despite the Eagles having had their bye week already, are second in the NFL. Only future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry has more rushing yards at 1,052. There's a gap after Henry and Barkley, as Josh Jacobs is third in the NFL with 762 rushing yards.
It comes down to what we wrote earlier this week — the NFL went way too far in devaluing star running backs. The Eagles now have Barkley on an extremely team-friendly contract, which guarantees him $26 million over a three-year/$37.75 million deal.
If the Eagles continue to follow the advice of Johnson and Barkley stays healthy, he could very well win Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.
