Saquon Barkley looks to do for Eagles what Christian McCaffrey did for 49ers

Ralph Vacchiano

NFC East Reporter

PHILADELPHIA — In an era where running backs have been almost universally devalued, the counterpoint has been out in San Francisco. Because when the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey in 2022 they instantly became an NFC power. And McCaffrey shook off years of struggles and revived his career.

That’s the template Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles are hoping to follow. They might not build their offense around Barkley as much as the 49ers did with McCaffrey. But they both sure are hoping for — and perhaps expecting — similar results.

“I decided to come to this team because I knew this team could help me with my legacy for my career,” Barkley said after his first training camp practice as an Eagle on Wednesday. “And I know we have an opportunity to go out and win games.”

Though they are avoiding any public signs of overconfidence, they are absolutely expecting to win a lot of games in Philadelphia after signing Barkley to a three-year, $37.5 million deal with $26 million guaranteed back in March. He was the key addition they hope will turn their fortunes around after a 10-1 start last season that had them looking like a championship contender spiraled into a shocking, 1-6 finish that left them looking lost.

They see Barkley as the kind of weapon that could make their offense impossible to stop, since it’s already loaded with an MVP-caliber quarterback in Jalen Hurts, arguably the best 1-2 receiving combo in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. That’s what McCaffrey did in 2022 when he joined a 49ers team that had been to the Super Bowl the year before and already had weapons like receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, too.

Those 49ers were coming off a loss in the NFC Championship, but were floundering at 3-3 when McCaffrey arrived. They lost his first game in San Francisco, but then won 12 straight before losing in the NFC title game. And one year later, the 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII.

They were able to do that because of what they did for McCaffrey. He had missed most of the previous two seasons with injuries. But since joining the 49ers, he’s looked like his younger self. In 27 games for San Francisco, he’s run for 2,205 yards and 20 touchdowns while catching 119 passes for 1,028 yards. That includes an NFL-best 1,459 rushing yards and 67 catches for 564 yards and 21 total touchdowns just last year.

Barkley isn’t in exactly the same situation. He’s bounced back since his big injury — a torn ACL early in the 2020 season. But a variety of nagging injuries have weighed him down over time. And he rushed for just 962 yards while playing in only 14 games last year.

But he admittedly feels rejuvenated already in Philadelphia. And he has big expectations playing behind an offensive line that is far superior to any he played behind during his six seasons in New York.

“Yeah, I feel like that’s a reason why I wanted to come here,” Barkley said. “The offensive line, history has shown they can be really good. It’s going to help me show my true potential.”

And it’s not just the offensive line, he said. It’s the rest of the surrounding cast, too. Barkley hasn’t played with another true offensive star since he was a rookie and Odell Beckham was the Giants’ No. 1 receiver. It’s no coincidence that Barkley was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. But Beckham was traded about a month after Barkley accepted that award.

Now Barkley looks around the huddle and sees Hurts, Brown, Smith and a bunch of star offensive linemen.

“It still doesn’t feel real when I’m in that offensive huddle, seeing all those guys,” Barkley said. “Pro Bowlers and All-Pros at every position.”

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Of course, the Eagles have to keep them all happy. So, while Barkley is likely to be used a lot as a receiver out of the backfield, he probably won’t top the 91 catches for 721 yards he had as a rookie. Even McCaffrey never approached the receiving numbers he put up in Carolina early in his career after moving to San Francisco.

But with a better offensive line and against defenses stretched thin by an all-star offense, Barkley could have the kind of season McCaffrey had for the 49ers last year, and he certainly has a shot at topping his own career high of 1,312 rushing yards that he set in 2022. It’s not crazy to think that if the Eagles start winning again, Barkley could be a dark-horse candidate for NFL MVP.

And if not, he seems fine with that, too, as long as the Eagles win.

“I know there will be times this season where there might be games they’re going to hand the ball to 2-6 and I’ve got to try to take over the game,” Barkley said. “But there might be games where I’ve got to sit back and watch A.J. Brown do what he do, or DeVonta Smith.

“So whatever it takes, that’s what it is. That’s what I’m about.”

If it all works, though, it’ll be beneficial to both the Eagles and Barkley. They’ll start winning again and prove they’re still a Super Bowl contender and maybe get a shot at winning the championship they were so close to winning just two seasons ago.

And if that happens, and Barkley is a significant part of it, it will go a long way toward redefining his legacy. The world will start to forget about all those wasted seasons in New York and that unfulfilled promise. He’ll be considered an elite running back again.

“I guess I’ll reflect on that when I’m done,” Barkley said. “I’m looking forward to the future. I’ve got three years here and hopefully I can go out and prove to this organization and fan base that I am a special player, I can make a lot of plays, and I can help us win games.

“I’m hoping to build my legacy here.”

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.