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Tim McManus
PHILADELPHIA — There was a time, Philadelphia Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley stated, when he would see clips of Derrick Henry operating hills or Christian McCaffrey figuring out and really feel compelled to spring into motion to maintain tempo, considering, “I’ve obtained to go.”
The aggressive nature stays, however the circumstances are totally different this offseason, with Barkley coming off a marketing campaign by which he shattered his earlier excessive in carries. And so he’s as a substitute listening to a refrain of confidants — a gaggle that features Eagles coaches, mentors and a pair Corridor of Fame backs — who’re advising him to take a extra measured strategy to his coaching to permit his physique to heal.
“You have simply obtained to be smarter, proper? You may have your moments the place you go in there and also you grind, you push it,” Barkley stated. “However the majority of these days is simply mobility, conditioning, doing all of the issues to get your physique in form to carry out at a excessive stage. It was a whole lot of workload [last year], however my physique feels nice, in order that’s crucial factor.”
Barkley had among the best seasons for a operating again of all time in 2024. He rushed for two,504 yards over the common season and the postseason, breaking the single-season document. The reigning Related Press Offensive Participant of the Yr added 499 yards and 5 touchdowns within the playoffs to assist Philadelphia seize its second Lombardi Trophy.
The Eagles leaned on Barkley fairly a bit to gasoline their offense. He completed the common season with 345 carries — 50 greater than his earlier excessive of 295 set in 2022 — and ran the ball 91 extra instances within the playoffs.
The pure concern is whether or not the results of that stage of utilization will carry over as Barkley enters Yr 8.
Barkley, 28, consulted head coach Nick Sirianni, operating backs coach Jemal Singleton and a pair of former greats in Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James, amongst others, who all had related recommendation for him.
“It wasn’t laborious as a result of everybody I belief advised me principally to take a seat my ass down for just a little bit,” he stated following the crew’s lone minicamp follow final week.
Sirianni famous that every participant within the group has an individualized coaching routine based mostly on plenty of components, together with participant suggestions and enter from the trainers and energy workers.
“We sort of monitored everyone as we went,” Sirianni stated. “We obtained a whole lot of good work in, Saquon obtained a whole lot of good work in and yeah, I am happy with how the offseason program has gone.”
The upcoming weeks shall be just a little totally different for Barkley as nicely. He defined that in earlier years he would attempt to come into coaching camp prepared for Week 1. This time round, he’ll be acutely aware to not overdo it throughout the crew’s down interval and can enable camp to assist work him into correct form for the beginning of the season.
Up to now, the strategy appears to be working for Barkley.
“I really feel actually good,” he stated. “I really feel like I am getting into my prime.”
