Philadelphia Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley may very well be a dominant efficiency in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LIX away from finishing arguably the biggest running-back season in NFL historical past.
Forward of Sunday’s showdown in New Orleans, Eagles normal supervisor Howie Roseman mirrored on what Barkley has meant to the group over the previous 11 months.
“I would prefer to say he is exceeded expectations, however he is all the time been top-of-the-line gamers I’ve ever seen each time I’ve watched him and I’ve all the time recognized about what sort of individual he’s as a result of it is not laborious to search out that out,” Roseman just lately stated about Barkley, as shared by Tim McManus of ESPN. “So I am actually not shocked by any of this, and I do not say that in an conceited method, it is primarily based on who he’s, nothing to do with me, as a result of that is who he is all the time been. And I am simply glad everybody will get to see that.”
Quite a few reporters and analysts defended the New York Giants for not overpaying to cease Barkley from reaching free company final March. A few of those self same people stated that even an marketed Tremendous Bowl contender such because the Eagles should not signal a veteran ball-carrier with a worrisome injury history to a three-year, $37.75M contract that may very well be price as much as $46.75M with $26M totally assured.
After all, Barkley has since change into one of the best offensive participant for a group that gained 15 of 16 video games from Week 6 via convention championship Sunday. He led the league for the common season with 2,283 complete yards from scrimmage, is 30 yards away from surpassing Terrell Davis (2,476) for essentially the most speeding yards from Week 1 of a season via that marketing campaign’s Tremendous Bowl, is the presumptive AP Offensive Participant of the Yr Award winner and a finalist for the Most Invaluable Participant Award.
As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Barkley second among the many betting favorites at +260 odds to say Tremendous Bowl MVP Award honors.
Alongside together with his super on-the-field contributions, Barkley also emerged as an outspoken chief within the Philadelphia locker room going again to final spring. Briefly, he is been price each penny he is acquired from the Eagles.
“[He has been a] big, big participant and individual for this group,” Roseman added. “And [signing him was] not a tough set off to tug. I feel I am being per what I stated in March — was extraordinarily assured within the participant and the individual.”
Additionally on Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to record the Eagles as 1.5-point underdogs in opposition to the Chiefs. If Philadelphia earns an upset win at Caesars Superdome, Barkley might get his arms on a number of trophies from the beginning of Thursday’s “NFL Honors” awards present via late Sunday night time.