Following victory at the Super Bowl, Eagles star Saquon Barkley called on his teammates to “do it all over again”, showing his true colours that he is desperate to get back to business.
The Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs earned the team their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history largely due to Vic Fangio’s dominating defensive strategy.
This stifled Patrick Mahomes and his team’s efforts to achieve a record-breaking three-peat win. In the game, Barkley achieved 57 yards in 25 carries, a relatively modest performance, but the Chiefs’ defense was mainly focused on countering his threat.
He achieved a further 40 yards through passing plays, contributing to the team’s Super Bowl win and finalising a season that was among the greatest by any running back in history. During the regular and postseasons, Barkley made 2,504 yards and 18 touchdowns by rushing – the greatest rushing yardage achieved by any player in the history of the NFL.
Having signed to the Eagles as a free agent from their NFC East rival, the New York Giants, Barkley’s 2024 season is set to become one of the greatest-ever first seasons by any free agent across all sports. Last Friday, Barkley and the rest of the Eagles celebrated by parading through the streets of Philadelphia, but he is already focused on next season’s prospects, seeking to repeat this year’s success.
Barkley, amid the celebrations at Raising Cane’s, opened up to reporters about his voracious ambition following the Super Bowl victory. “Two nights ago, I had a hard time sleeping because I was thinking about how I’m going to attack the offseason,” he admitted.
“You become, greedy is not the word, but addicted to it. You want to find a way to hold that Lombardi Trophy up again.”
Yet there’s a bittersweet tinge to such triumphs, as he reflected: “It kind of sucks when you think about it because you can’t allow yourself to get too caught up in it. I guess you can appreciate the things that you’re achieving but that’s how it is, you’ve got to move on and do it all over again. That’s the dream.”
The Eagles’ A. J. Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts aren’t resting on their laurels even after their recent Super Bowl success. After thwarting the Chiefs’ bid for a third consecutive title, the Philadelphia team is already chasing another streak of glory.
And Barkley encapsulates this relentless drive, musing: “I said after the game, ‘Why can’t our dynasty start now?'” It was a comment made partly in jest – perhaps influenced by the celebratory spirits – yet it speaks to an enduring sports truth. “But you really can’t focus on that. It’s hard to win one. Then, you take it in, you enjoy the moment, and you start over.”
Friday’s parade will mark the conclusion of festivities and the commitment to hard work once more. As Barkley sums it up: “It starts over after Friday’s parade. We truly celebrate being a Super Bowl champion, and then it’s back to work. That’s the beauty of the team that we have. A lot of guys have similar mindsets.
“You can’t really get caught up in the dynasty. The way you achieve that is by putting the work in. There’s a reason why we won, it wasn’t an accident. So, we’ve got to try to do that all over again.”
