Saquon Barkley Defends Eagles OC Kevin Patullo amid Hot-Seat Rumors, 'I Let Him Down'

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is facing plenty of criticism after the team's NFC Wild Card Round loss, but running back Saquon Barkley didn't want to blame him for the team's shortcomings.

Barkley told reporters he doesn't "think that's fair at all" that Patullo could be on the hot seat.

"Did I play to the level I did last year? I don't think so," he continued. "I let him down, I let my teammates down. It's a group thing."

This was Patullo's first season as the offensive coordinator after he was previously Philadelphia's pass game coordinator for four seasons. That means he was involved in the offense during last season's Super Bowl run, which could help him keep his job this offseason.

Still, the Eagles were anything but consistent on that side of the ball during his first year as OC.

They finished 24th in the league in yards and 19th in points throughout the season and largely made the playoffs because of an excellent defense. Even Barkley went from last year's Offensive Player of the Year with 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground to 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2025.

The offensive issues proved too much to overcome during Sunday's 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, as Philadelphia managed just two field goals in the second half. It also punted three times after intermission and turned it over downs on its final possession.

▶️  Full 49ers-Eagles Recap

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Barkley accepted some of the blame, but he was one of the only offensive bright spots Sunday with 106 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards. Tight end Dallas Goedert also scored two touchdowns, but wide receiver A.J. Brown managed just three catches for 25 yards.

It was a performance that figures to lead to plenty of offseason questions for the Eagles as they look to build a Super Bowl contender once again following an early exit.

One of those questions will be about Patullo's future, but Barkley didn't sound like he wants the team to move on from him after just one year as OC.