Eagles' Saquon Barkley Chasing The 'Best' Expectation

Philadelphia's RB is not shying away from lofty goals.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - For six seasons, the New York Giants tried to build an offense on the foundation of Saquon Barkley. 

The results were not positive.

There’s plenty of context to that end game with the Giants as Barkley, 27, begins the second phase of his career in Philadelphia.

No longer the centerpiece of the offense, Barkley is complementing Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert and running behind a top-tier offensive line, a welcome relief and an opportunity to finally have the kind of impact expected of Barkley when he arrived in the NFL as the No. 2 overall pick out of Penn State in 2018. 

“I just want to be great,” Barkley said after Sunday’s practice at the NovaCare Complex. “I just want to take it to the highest level that I can take it.

"That’s my goal.”

As Barkley starts Year 7 of his professional journey, he’s met Eagles’ rookie running back Will Shipley, a wide-eyed novice trying to pick the Pro Bowl back’s brain every day.

It was a Shipley query of ‘what keeps you going?’ they had Barkley defining his goal.

Barkley is cognizant that he didn’t reach the expectations for him with New York, a narrative he plans to change with a more substantive supporting cast buttressing him.

“I’m not going to stop. I’m going to keep trying,” he said. “Sometimes the reality of it [is] a lot of people don’t get to reach their full potential. 

“But at the end of the day, if I know I can put my all into it and if I don’t reach it when it’s all said and done, I’ll be happy with the work I put in.”

During the summer Barkley’s presence has been felt by helping Hurts gain running lanes or creating space for Brown and Smith by running clear-out routes in which the defense has to respect Barkley's playmaking ability and carry him down the field.

On Sunday, during red-zone work, it was Brown returning the favor by taking two defenders into the end zone while Barkley worked underneath the All-Pro receiver.

It remains a work in progress as offensive coordinator Kellen Moore tries to fit all the pieces together to produce the best outcome.

“You’ll definitely get a better sense [of my impact] within this offense [when the season starts],” Barkley said. “Not trying to sound cocky or anything like that, the tape speaks it for itself. 

“I am just trying to elevate on that.”

Barkley’s attempted elevation isn’t shy either.

“I want to be the best of all time,” Barkley said. “That’s your goal. …In my mind [being great] is to come out every single day and try to be the best version of myself and kind of have that mamba mentality, push myself every single day, go out there and try to win games, compete at the highest level and win championships. 

“When it’s all said and done, when I look back, hopefully you guys decide I’m mentioned in that category.”

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