When Saquon Barkley joined the Eagles in the 2024 off-season, even the most optimistic Philly fan couldn’t have predicted the level of dominance he’s shown so far. Be it his Godly rushing numbers or mind-bending plays, Barkley has been simply out of the world. The NFL world unanimously agrees that his immense talent was underutilized in New York. His impact has been this profound, so much so that his teammates have fittingly nicknamed him “Black Jesus.”
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Darius Slay recently appeared on the Richard Sherman Podcast where the CB, as expected, claimed that Saquon Barkley is a one-of-a-kind talent. Slay didn’t, however, share this opinion when Barkley was signed by the Eagles. The star RB’s career stats were quite weak at that time, and they still are, due to playing most of his career with the struggling Giants.
But come training camp, Slay realized that Barkley’s stats didn’t reflect his true quality. He started witnessing jaw-dropping moments every time he saw the RB make run plays in practice. This was when the CB realized that Barkley would cross 2,000 yards behind a strong O-line of the Eagles. And the RB did exactly that.
During the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, Barkley showed up when it mattered, frustratingly well at that. As Slay recalled, after a 17-play drive that he and the Eagles secondary had, Barkley just got on the field and scored a touchdown, forcing the defense to come back again. And that was a good thing, but as Slay quipped, it was a little bit frustrating how good the running back was. So, it’s no wonder they gave Barkley that nickname.
“Man, Saquon is so good. Me and my homeboys used to have like a little talk about RBs. I said, ‘Man, Saquon, that dude, like his career stats don’t say well, but ain’t nobody seen no running back like this… He is explosive, man. Like I see him in person every week and he is a highlight reel… Man, look. We call him Black Jesus around here!”
“We call him Black Jesus around here”@bigplay24slay tells @RSherman_25 what it’s like to watch Saquon Barkley every week pic.twitter.com/9YgznZVVLD
— Richard Sherman Podcast (@RShermanPodcast) January 27, 2025
For those unfamiliar, the RB’s TD that forced Slay and the Eagles defense to come back on the field occurred against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game. That score came off the first play the Eagles executed in the matchup.
For Darius Slay & Co., this was a bittersweet moment as, on one hand, they were elated to get ahead. But on the other hand, they had to return to defensive duties in a jiffy after enduring a relentless 17-play drive against Jayden Daniels & Co.
Barkley truly has been a revelation this season. Make no mistake, the RB always balled out in New York, especially considering what he had to work with. But now, with a strong O-line and a competent QB around him, he is simply thriving on his plays.
2,005 rushing yards and 13 TDs in your first season with a new team as an RB are monstrous numbers. Such is the greatness of Barkley that, in a matchup featuring Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Jalen Hurts & others, it’s his form that will determine the outcome of Super Bowl LIX.
Simply put, Saquon Barkley is the main threat to the Chiefs’ three-peat aspirations.
