Turns out doing a backward reverse jump flip over a defender’s head is a great PR move. Saquon Barkley — the talk of the NFL for his gravity-defying hurdle — has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after racking up 199 all-scrimmage yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Saquon Barkley has won the coveted award six times during his career, including three times this year as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles (Week 1, Week 7, Week 9). His 925 rushing yards through eight games ranks No. 2 in the NFL while his 5.9 yards per carry puts him No. 3 among qualifying running backs in 2024.
Safe to say, the 27-year-old has been worth every penny of his $37.75 million contract. Barkley has already accumulated 1,071 all-scrimmage yards this season, making him only the third Eagles player to accomplish that feat since the 1970 NFL merger. Exaggerations aside, Barkley has truly been a video-game cheat code.
“We knew he was special,” head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on November 3. “Just when you’re preparing to play against special players in this league, they tend to take so much of your time up of you thinking about them and you preparing to stop them. So, we knew he was special. I think when you’re around him on a daily basis it’s safe to say, yes, that he’s even more special than I could have even imagined.
“It’s with everything though. I can’t say enough about Saquon Barkley the leader, the worker, the teammate. It was just unbelievable that play [referring to the backwards hurdle]. I think it’s fair to say that he’s even more special than I ever thought.”
Nike Turns Saquon Barkley’s Viral Play into ‘Witness’ Ad
The term “better than advertised” gets tossed around with reckless abandon, perhaps sinking the significance of the phrase. For Saquon Barkley, no truer words have ever been uttered. He is a game-changing superstar who can swing momentum in a single bound. Nike wasted no time in putting his iconic play from Sunday on a new ad — one showing him reverse jumping over Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones.
“I feel God gave me the ability to play this position,” Barkley told reporters. “Sometimes you just gotta let go and let your God-given instincts take over.”
“God has blessed Saquon with some special things,” added Jalen Hurts. “I really genuinely pray he continues to use those things and the fullness of him and give him the glory with that because there’s special stuff he’s capable of doing.”
Barkley had 159 rushing yards in Week 9 which gave him 100+ yards in three straight games, including 145+ yards in three performances this year. He joined Eagles Hall of Famer LeSean McCoy as the new only running back in franchise history to have 1,000+ all-scrimmage yards and 8+ touchdowns through the first eight games of a single season. So, yes, keep those history books open as Barkley continues to rewrite them.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
