Last week, former Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was among the headliners at this year’s Fanatics Fest NYC. When the microphone came his way, he took a moment to thank the Giants and their fans, though not exactly out of genuine appreciation. “Thank you, every Giants fan out there. Thank you, thank you,” Graham said, the sarcasm barely disguised. On paper, it sounded like a polite gesture. In reality, it was a pointed jab at the Big Blue for letting Saquon Barkley walk out the door.

“Thank you for not being smart, because, man, your team let us get safer. Thank you again.” And honestly, who could blame him? Barkley landed in Philadelphia and immediately rewrote the record books. He delivered the best season of his career, rushing for over 2,000 yards, scoring 13 touchdowns, and powering the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX victory. Glitter, stats, and helping Philly to complete the revenge over the Chiefs.

But here’s the kicker—Philadelphia wasn’t alone in its pursuit. The entire NFC East was in the hunt for Barkley. We’re talking about Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys. Recently, a clip went viral in which Barkley was talking about the time when he was still a free agent. Barkley pointed out that he was awaiting a call from the Cowboys as well as the Commanders. But eventually, he never heard from any of them.

“Nah, never heard a word from Commanders or Dallas,” Barkley explained. “That’s why it’s BTA when I see them.” A huge miss out for Jerry Jones and Co.? Absolutely. Because when Saquon was available in the free agency ahead of the 2024 season, folks out there pointed out that Dallas was interested in pursuing Barkley. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that: “There are some people in the league who believe the Cowboys will pursue Saquon Barkley.”

Fast forward to now, well, well, well… The Cowboys had a terrible season in general. But the backfield game was just horrendous. They accumulated 100.2 rushing yards per game, ranking them 27th in the league, and racked up just six rushing touchdowns throughout the season. To spice things up, when Barkley and the Cowboys came face to face, the running back rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and put his season total to over 2,000 yards.

So yeah, it’s safe to say that JJ absolutely missed out on an explosive gem when Barkley was available in free agency. However, his great performance in his debut season in Philly could be a concern for Philly.

Saquon Barkley ran for 2,000+ yards last year, but what’s next?

Saquon Barkley had kind of a season that he will remember for years to come. After all, you don’t often rush for 2,005 yards in the regular season, and tack on another 499 in the playoffs—a staggering 2,504 total yards, a mark no player in NFL history has ever reached. Add a Super Bowl ring and his face on the Madden 26, and you’ve a campaign that was not just memorable, but historic. And now, he’s entering the 2025 season with a desire to replicate the last season. But one cloud will be looming over his head that no one has escaped: regression.

Fantasy analyst John Daigle recently sat down on the Ross Tucker Podcast, where he felt mesmerized while talking about Barkley’s 2024 season. “It was the most touches since DeMarco Murray actually led the league in touches for Saquon Barkley to reach 460 plus. It’s an absurd number how much they used him. He’s once again going to rival for the league and touches,” Daigle said. But what followed from him sounded an alarm not just for Barkley. For the Eagles as well.

“There will be there will be regression in terms of his explosive touchdown runs. Like you just can’t naturally sustain,” Daigle added. Translation? You won’t be at the top throughout your career. Sure, Barkley is expected to repeat the heroics he pulled off in the 2024 season. But recording another 2000+ mark again is no walk in the park. After all, at one point or another, your body will eventually give up. That’s the script we’ve watched in the NFL a bunch of times.

Back in 2012, Adrian Peterson played like he was literally A-Train. Recording 2,097 yards, falling just short of breaking the record set by Eric Dickerson. The next season? He cooled down to just 1,266 yards in 14 games. Terrell Davis? The Super Bowl champ who rushed for 2,008 yards in ’98. The next year? His knees gave up in just four games, after rushing for 211 yards.

Saquon Barkley, on the other hand, is young and fast, no doubt. But at one point or another, you’ve got to take care of your engine before it runs out of oil. And the Eagles know it pretty well.