No player was more important for the Philadelphia Eagles in their journey to Super Bowl than running back Saquon Barkley.
In his first year with the team, Barkley had the best season of his career, running all over opponents through the regular season and the Eagles’ playoff run.
But once the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl, it’s possible that his biggest contribution to the game came not on the field, but on the sidelines.
While the Kansas City Chiefs defense did a pretty good job of containing Barkley, they struggled to contain...anything else, allowing the Eagles to jump out to a massive lead in the first half.
But despite things breaking for the Eagles in every direction, Barkley was prowling the sidelines making sure his teammates stayed locked in and didn’t let their lead go to their heads.
“Right here, right here,” Barkley told his teammates on the sidelines, while signaling to keep a level head. “Until the clock strikes zero.”
“Do not fall for it,” Barkley said at another moment. “Do not fall for it at all.”
Job wasn't finished 😤@saquon | @eagles pic.twitter.com/BWMFeEyra7
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2025
Barkley’s concern was understandable.
On the other side of the field was Patrick Mahomes, who had trailed by 10 in four Super Bowls already in his career, and won three of them, including one against the Eagles two years ago. While Barkley wasn’t on the team in their first dance with the Chiefs in the big game, he clearly understood that there was no room for the Eagles to take their collective foot off of the gas until the final whistle had sounded.
Mission accomplished.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saquon Barkley Hounded the Eagles’ Sideline Making Sure Players Stayed Locked in vs. Chiefs.
