Saquon Barkley is gearing up for a strong 2026 season after a disappointing 2025 performance.
He rushed for 1,140 yards in 2025, barely more than half of his 2024 total, where he set the NFL record for most yards in a season, including playoffs, with 2,504 yards.
## What happened?
The Eagles' early playoff exit last season provided players with extra time to rest and recover, which Barkley believes will benefit him in the upcoming season.
He admitted that he was worn down from the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2024, but is using the extra rest to prepare for 2026.
## Why it matters for Saquon Barkley
Barkley's performance in 2025 was affected by the offensive line being banged up and quarterback Jalen Hurts not running as often or as well as he did in the past.
He is looking to improve his game under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who is expected to line up Hurts more under center, benefiting Barkley.
## What comes next?
Barkley has been preparing for the season by reaching out to former Rams running back Todd Gurley, who thrived under head coach Sean McVay, a system that Mannion is a disciple of.
Gurley had 1,305 yards rushing in 2017 and 1,251 yards in 2018 with the Rams, statistics that Barkley hopes to emulate in the 2026 season.
The Eagles were eliminated in the wild card round by the San Francisco 49ers on January 11, giving Barkley and the rest of the Eagles' offense a full extra month to rest and recover.
Barkley felt that he was able to get himself into better shape coming into the offseason, which he believes will be a key factor in his success in the 2026 season.
He is bullish on the upcoming season, both under Mannion and because of the extra rest he was able to get.
Barkley personally doesn't like how his 2025 season went and is looking to perform at a higher level in 2026.
He believes that the extra time to prepare will help him to find the weaknesses that he lacked in the previous year and work on improving them.
Barkley's goal is to excel in the 2026 season and make up for his disappointing performance in 2025.