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Tim McManus
PHILADELPHIA — There was a time, Philadelphia Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley mentioned, 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 acquired to go.”
The aggressive nature stays, however the circumstances are completely different this offseason, with Barkley coming off a marketing campaign wherein he shattered his earlier excessive in carries. And so he’s as a substitute listening to a refrain of confidants — a bunch that features Eagles coaches, mentors and a pair Corridor of Fame backs — who’re advising him to take a extra measured method to his coaching to permit his physique to heal.
“You’ve got simply acquired to be smarter, proper? You’ve got your moments the place you go in there and also you grind, you push it,” Barkley mentioned. “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 loads of workload [last year], however my physique feels nice, in order that’s an important factor.”
Barkley had top-of-the-line 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 report. The reigning Related Press Offensive Participant of the 12 months 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 12 months 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 comparable recommendation for him.
“It wasn’t exhausting as a result of everybody I belief advised me mainly to take a seat my ass down for a little bit bit,” he mentioned following the workforce’s lone minicamp apply final week.
Sirianni famous that every participant within the group has an individualized coaching routine based mostly on quite a few components, together with participant suggestions and enter from the trainers and energy workers.
“We type of monitored everyone as we went,” Sirianni mentioned. “We acquired loads of good work in, Saquon acquired loads of good work in and yeah, I am happy with how the offseason program has gone.”
The upcoming weeks might be a little bit completely different for Barkley as properly. He defined that in earlier years he would attempt to come into coaching camp prepared for Week 1. This time round, he’ll be aware to not overdo it throughout the workforce’s down interval and can enable camp to assist work him into correct form for the beginning of the season.
So far, the method appears to be working for Barkley.
“I really feel actually good,” he mentioned. “I really feel like I am getting into my prime.”