“It’s a great story, right?” said Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley when asked to sum up the last 10 months leading up to Super Bowl LIX, where he and his squad came out victorious.
Barkley sat inside a Raising Cane’s in Trevose, Pennsylvania, speaking to the media, reflecting on what just happened on Sunday: the Eagles beating the Kansas City Chiefs to stop NFL history and hoist the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy as champions of the 2024 season.
Barkley was the AP Offensive Player of the Year, entering the 2,000-yard rushing club to lead the NFL in that category while being a catalyst for a stacked Eagles bunch that got redemption from their Super Bowl LVII loss.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley talks to the media with his daughter, Jada, after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
If you asked Barkley if he was going to hoist the trophy in Philadelphia even just last year, he’d probably say no. But after the New York Giants allowed him to walk into free agency, the Eagles came calling and they struck a deal.
The rest is quite literally history.
“You kinda can’t make it up,” Barkley, who was joined by Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves and hundreds of Eagles fans to celebrate the Super Bowl LIX win, told reporters. “But for me, I look at it more of the people that were with me during it. My family, my friends, the love and support they’ve had for me. Then, not losing faith.
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“If you would’ve told me when I was 19 or 20 years old that it would take me seven years to have the type of year I did and to win the Super Bowl, I probably wouldn’t have thought that was the case. But that’s life. There’s adversity, there’s ups and downs, and I think the fact I didn’t lose faith and I had the right mindset during those times, when my time was meant to come, I was ready for it. I think that definitely helps.”
At the height of the celebration, Barkley was asked in the Eagles’ locker room at Caesars Superdome what was next for the team he just joined and has two more seasons with (at least contractually).
“I said after the game, ‘Why can’t our dynasty start now?’” Barkley said. “Probably had a little bit of champagne and other stuff in my system at the time. But you really can’t focus on that. You got to enjoy the moment. It’s hard to win one, and you take it in, enjoy the moment and start all over. It kinda starts over after Friday.”
Now, that doesn’t mean Barkley’s words about a potential Philly dynasty were not true.
Saquon Barkley smiles at Raising Cane’s in Trevose, Pa., after winning the Super Bowl. (Raising Cane’s)
He does believe this team has the makeup to do what the Chiefs attempted against them – win three straight Super Bowls for the first time in league history.
Eagles star receiver A.J. Brown expressed his feelings on social media that the “hunt” to take down teams and win is what drives him, and as a result, he still isn’t hung up on winning the “Big Game.” His counterpart DeVonta Smith said something to the same effect.
“That’s the beauty of the team that we have, a lot of guys have similar mindsets,” Barkley said. “I saw A.J. post something about it, I saw Smitty post something about it. I was with [quarterback] Jalen [Hurts] throughout the week and had conversations with him. It kinda sucks because when you’re a kid, you’re super excited to accomplish this thing. But when you accomplish it, you have fun in the moment, and then two nights ago I had a hard time sleeping because I’m thinking about how I’m going to attack the offseason.
“You kinda get – greedy is not the word – addicted to it. You want to find a way you can hold that Lombardi up again and do it all over again. You take it in, you cherish it, you appreciate the fans. But the dynasty thing, you can’t get caught up in that. The way you do that is by putting the work in, and there’s a reason why we won and had the success we did. Try to do it all over again next year.”
So, Barkley will enjoy Friday’s Super Bowl parade in Philadelphia, which kicks off at 11 a.m. at the team’s complex. Like he said, he’ll be cherishing the moment with his loved ones and teammates, soaking in the love from fans, which he felt a small taste of on Thursday.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is interviewed on the field after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
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But what’s next for him and this team? It’s simple: defend the title.
“That’s the dream. Why not have a better year than I had? Why not win another Super Bowl?” Barkley said.
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