Jahmyr Gibbs Reveals He Has Extra Motivation Facing Saquon Barkley in Lions vs. Eagles

Sunday's showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions could be a playoff preview and important for postseason positioning, but Jahmyr Gibbs will also be motivated to win the battle among running backs.

"I've always been a fan of Saquon [Barkley] since I was in high school," Gibbs said Thursday of his motivation, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "Yeah, competitive nature. That's always gonna do that. Whoever says no is lying."

Barkley and Gibbs are two of the best running backs in the league, but the former was the clear gold standard for the position last season.

He helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl title with a league-best 2,005 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns as the Offensive Player of the Year. He also finished third in MVP voting and was a First-Team All-Pro selection.

Saquon's 65-Yard TD 💨

00:29

However, Barkley has not been as effective in 2025.

He is averaging 3.9 yards per carry after posting 5.8 a year ago and has six total touchdowns. By comparison, Gibbs is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has 10 total touchdowns as one of the go-to options in Detroit's offense.

Ultimately, winning will be the most important outcome for each of the first-place teams. But Gibbs' honesty about wanting to outshine someone he has long admired is refreshing, especially since they are two of the top playmakers in the NFL.

Doing so against an Eagles defense that is 10th in the league in points allowed per game and fresh off a dominant performance in a 10-7 victory against the Green Bay Packers will be easier said than done, but he will be plenty motivated for the matchup.