Ever since departing from the bright lights of New York City, the world has seemingly been Saquon Barkley’s oyster. His historic 2024 campaign has already guaranteed him a place in NFL history as one of the most prolific running backs of the modern era.
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After having claimed the likes of rushing title and the Lombardi trophy, the star running back of the Philadelphia Eagles has now received his latest honor by being named as the literal “poster child” for this year’s edition of EA Sports Madden Football. Featuring his iconic, backwards hurdle from his Week 9 showcase against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Barkley’s appearance on the cover of Madden 26 has already received heaps of praise from fans.
However, for the sake of his own safety, his mother is requesting that the photoshoot be the last time his feet leave the ground. The most recent stop of Barkley’s ongoing press tour brought him to the set of Good Morning America, where he detailed his mother’s desire for him to play things a bit safe in 2025.
When asked to give his account of the viral photoshoot, Barkley admitted that only then did he realize how insane the maneuver actually was.
“That’s when I realized what I did was super hard. When they ask you to recreate something and you have to be strapped into a harness, it showed me how cool it was. And also, how dangerous the play was, and the reason why my mom likes when my feet stay on the ground.”
Barkley’s superhuman leap came in the midst of one of his numerous 150+ rushing-yard performances last season. He handled a total of 30 touches that day, 27 carries and three receptions.
In total, Barkley finished just shy of producing 200 yards against Jacksonville. His 159 rushing yards saw him post an average of 5.9 yards per carry, and his 40 receiving yards proved to be the second most of any Eagle.
In fact, his performance that day was so impressive that Geno’s Steakhouse, one of the more iconic eateries in the city of Philadelphia today, changed the name of their restaurant to “Steakquon” for an entire week. Simply put, the city loves him.
For all of the praises and joy that he has brought and will likely continue to bring to the Eagles organization, Barkley’s presence will likely prove to be the most crucial one of them all in this upcoming season. Historically, running backs who lead the league in touches are usually worse for wear the next time out.
Factor in that he now must also contend with the dreaded Madden Curse, and it’s safe to say that, despite his current surge, there will be plenty of trends going against Barkley in 2025. Should he hope to truly solidify himself as the best to ever play his position, then defying the odds and overcoming the dreaded 27-year age cliff figure to be his next challenge as the Eagles hope to defend their world title.
