Saquon Barkley 'Feels Like a Rookie Again' After Signing Eagles Contract in NFL FA

Saquon Barkley's decision to join the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency was one of the biggest moves in the NFL this offseason, as the dynamic running back went to his longtime rivals and gave Philly one of the most dangerous offenses in football.

The move seemed to rejuvenate Barkley as well, as he told reporters on Wednesday he "feels like a rookie again" and was excited to be surrounded by so much talent:

"Biggest thing that struck me is my first 7-on-7 huddle you see A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Jalen Hurts. It's not a bad group to be out there with. That's not even including the offensive linemen."

"We're all just coming in, buying in, trying to learn the playbook, learning the system, trying to get better each day. You know there is a lot of talent, a lot of talent before I got here. I feel I can only add to that. At the same time, you can't look too far. That's the beauty of it. That's the beauty of coming in every single day, working with each other, pushing each other."

Big things are expected for this offensive unit.

Despite the retirement of future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce, the offensive line is still stout. Hurts had something of a down year in 2023 after he was the MVP runner-up the year prior, but the hope will be that a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore—and a player like Barkley to take some of the pressure off the passing game—gets him back on track.

Brown and Smith might be the best one-two punch at receiver in football, while Goedert remains an incredibly effective tight end. These Eagles, at least on paper, look like a defensive coordinator's worst nightmare.

The Eagles looked like a dangerous team on paper in 2023 too, especially after a 10-1 start. But teams seemed to figure out the offense down the stretch, and too often the Birds felt like a team that struggled to move the ball if the big play wasn't there.

Some of that came down to scheme. Some came down to Hurts' decision making. With a dynamic playmaker like Barkley now in the backfield, however, taking the safer check-down option might suddenly be a bit more enticing.

As for Barkley, he knows expectations are high, but there's work to be done.

"I'm excited to be here with this team," he said. "I feel like we can do something special. That's a ways, ways away, so just continue to come in one day at a time and try to get better."