Can Eagles’ O-Line Set Up Saquon Barkley for Another 2,000-Yard Season?

Ben Arthur

NFL Reporter

THE COLONY, Texas — Lane Johnson stood in the Cosm Dallas dome hall at the OL Masterminds Summit — the annual event he co-hosts — and revealed the keys to maintaining elite performance late into his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

As 200 offensive linemen (past and present), coaches and position evaluators listened intently last week, the Eagles’ All-Pro right tackle said one essential element is learning how to “declutter your mind.” He stressed the importance of disengaging from distractions. For the 35-year-old, a sound routine has been integral to his success.

“You look at the world now,” Johnson told the room. “Television, phones. They do a good job of keeping us distracted. It hijacks our focus.”

The same could potentially be said about the added attention Johnson and his linemates will draw in Philadelphia, one of the largest media markets in the country, after their Super Bowl title.

In 2024, the Eagles’ O-line, considered by many to be the NFL’s gold standard, paved the way for running back Saquon Barkley to become just the ninth player in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. The unit capped its terrific year with a dominant performance in Super Bowl LIX, in which the Eagles overwhelmed the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 en route to the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.

Saquon Barkley and Lane Johnson (65) celebrate Philadelphia’s victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX last February. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

According to Johnson, Philly’s offensive line will rely on a culture that’s been set over several years to sustain excellence — and, particularly, to continue to pave the way for Barkley — amid rising distractions.

“I think we all have a fear of letting down each other or a fear of letting down the city, and we never want to do that. So fear is a huge motivator,” Johnson said. “We’ve had vets who’ve obviously had a lot of pride in what they do and showed us. I’ve been around a lot of serious competitors, man. [Jason] Kelce, J.P. [Jason Peters], Brandon Brooks. So you have all these guys who are wired very similarly in the room. You’re not going to catch too many guys who are looking for relief or slack. So when you have that, they kind of just demand a certain standard. Any time you deviate from that, Coach is going to be vocal about that, or we’re going to be vocal about it.

“Nothing is left uncovered in our room. We really talk about everything. It’s a great place for growth, and people aren’t scared to make mistakes,” Johnson added on the Eagles’ O-line. “You get so many guys who are wired the same [on the team]. Saquon. A.J. [Brown]. DeVonta [Smith]. All these guys are very good at what they do. You get that many guys who are wired like that, they’re not going to tolerate any bulls—.

“I think that environment in Philly — the pressure there, the type of guys that we have in the room — I think both of those things are a huge call for people taking us seriously.”

Johnson also spoke about how Barkley’s mentality helps the linemen who block for him.

The 28-year-old star set an NFL record for rushing yards in a single year, including playoffs, with 2,504 in 2024. After shattering his previous career-high for carries, Barkley told reporters during the offseason program that he’s taken a more measured approach to his training — not only to help his body heal, but also to take advantage of his prime, which he feels he’s just now entering.

“He’s very selfless in who he is,” Johnson told me. “He’s a huge motivator. We know that he doesn’t need a whole lot to make the big play. So if we can give a little bit of extra effort and give him a whole lot, we saw last year that he’s very special. He’s really a galvanizing piece of our offense.

“A lot of our guys are friends with him,” Johnson added. “We do a lot of bullsh—ting at the breakfast table. He’s just a good guy on and off the field, but that off-the-field stuff makes you play harder for him on the field.”

All of which is to say, don’t discount Barkley from having another monster season in Philly.

Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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