Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is struggling, and one of his teammates explained why he seems off his game.
Last year, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was one of the best players in football. He led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards, adding 13 touchdowns while averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
This season, however, it has been an entirely different story, as Barkley has registered just 684 yards and three scores on a meager 3.7 yards per attempt.
Barkley toted the rock 10 times for just 22 yards and a fumble during the Eagles' collapse against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and afterward, a despondent Barkley blamed himself for the loss.
However, Philadelphia offensive tackle Jordan Mailata has leapt to his teammate's defense, explaining that Barkley's 2025 struggles are not his fault.
“It’s not on Saquon. It’s on all of us,” Mailata said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic. “You can watch the film. We always say we’re one block away — it’s tiring and as repetitive as it is, that’s the truth. I’m tired of saying it. But it starts with us. We got to do a better job with execution. Until we do that, this run game is not going anywhere.”
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.The Eagles' offensive line has definitely not been quite as dominant in 2025, and the loss of right guard Mekhi Becton has certainly stung. But Barkley's issues may run deeper than that.
It's important to keep in mind that Barkley is 28 years old, which isn't exactly young for a halfback. He has an extensive injury history, and remember: in the year before he arrived in Philly, he posted 962 yards on 3.9 yards per tote with the New York Giants. He also tallied 3.7 yards per carry in 2021.
Yes, the Eagles definitely have a better offensive setup than the Giants did during Barkley's time in New York, but it's entirely possible that Barkley's 2024 campaign was a bit of an outlier and that he will never post another season like that ever again.
It also doesn't help that Philadelphia's aerial attack has been so inconsistent this year, and Philly's offense in general has been a complete mystery.
For example, Philly jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Cowboys in the first half this past weekend. The Eagles then did not score for entire second half in what ended up being a 24-21 loss.
Barkley has managed just one 100-yard performance in 2025 and has only achieved over 60 yards rushing three times on the campaign.
Philadelphia is 8-3 and will face the Chicago Bears on Friday.