Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley recognized the need to change his offseason training following an intense 2024 season. After carrying the ball a career-high 345 times during the regular season, a mark that surpassed his previous personal best set while with the New York Giants in 2022, Barkley also added significant playoff minutes including the Super Bowl. With such a demanding workload, both Barkley and the Eagles understood the importance of managing his physical condition heading into the 2025 campaign.
Instead of pushing aggressively during the offseason, Barkley took a more calculated approach starting immediately after the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Trusting advice from his support circle, he embraced the need for rest and recovery to ensure longevity and sustained performance.
It wasn’t hard because everyone I trust told me basically to sit my a** down for a little bit,
Barkley told reporters.
Strategic Focus on Mobility and Conditioning in Training
Though Barkley refrained from maintaining his usual high-intensity offseason pace, he did not become complacent. Upon returning to preparations for the 2025 season, the 28-year-old adjusted his workout priorities by emphasizing smarter training methods instead of sheer volume. His goal shifted towards enhancing mobility, conditioning, and overall physical readiness rather than the continual grinding that characterized his previous routines.
You’ve just got to be smarter, right? You have your moments where you go in there and you grind, you push it,
Barkley explained.
But the majority of those days is just mobility, conditioning, doing all the things to get your body in shape to perform at a high level. It was a lot of workload [last year], but my body feels great, so that’s the most important thing.
Balancing his workload carefully is crucial for both Barkley and the Eagles, as they seek to maximize the impact of Philadelphia’s most dynamic offensive weapon while preserving his health for what they hope will be another playoff run deep into the postseason.
The Evolving Partnership Between Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni
Alongside Barkley’s preparation, the Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni are central to Philadelphia’s ambition for a consecutive Super Bowl title. Despite early-season tensions during 2023, particularly following changes to the offensive coordinator role, the duo has grown into one of the league’s most effective partnerships as the 2025 season approaches.
Sports analyst Henry McKenna of FOX Sports ranks Hurts and Sirianni as the fifth-best coach-quarterback pair in the NFL, highlighting their complementary personalities. While Hurts maintains a calm and collected presence, Sirianni brings energetic passion and emotion to the team dynamic. Their bond, though occasionally strained, is held together by shared goals and the steady influence of executive vice president Howie Roseman, who aligns personnel to support both individuals’ strengths.
Hurts is the calmest, chillest, most understated superstar in the NFL. Nick Sirianni is a ball of energy and emotion. And they don’t always seem to like each other, but they love the same things and that’s how they keep their love alive. I think it’s because Howie Roseman lives in the space between the two guys, linking Sirianni and Hurts with personnel that suits both of them. Because you know … Philly also has Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, among others. It’s one big family, fitting for the City of Brotherly Love.
—Henry McKenna, FOX Sports Analyst
As the Eagles enter their title defense, this strong leadership duo combined with a deep and talented roster keeps expectations high for Philadelphia’s upcoming campaign.
Jalen Hurts’ Potential MVP Campaign with Key Supporting Cast
Quarterback Jalen Hurts also has significant potential to emerge as an MVP candidate in 2025, especially with the supportive cast surrounding him. Although Hurts’ 2024 season was marked by consistency and culminated in a commanding Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, his personal statistics did not reach their peak in terms of volume or standout numbers.
Hurts finished the previous season with 2,903 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, achieving a career-high passer rating of 103.7. Veteran NFL analyst Judy Battista suggests Hurts could quietly become a strong contender for the MVP award as the new season unfolds.
Hurts was uneven last season but finished second in MVP voting in 2022. He has plenty of weapons in the passing game — A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert — but with so much of the offense running through Barkley, Hurts might not be able to amass the type of statistics that draw the attention of MVP voters, despite leading one of the NFL’s best teams.
—Judy Battista, NFL Media Analyst
With Barkley’s presence relieving some of the ground attack pressure and providing balance, Hurts is positioned to take further strides in his development. If the Eagles perform even better than they did last year, this combination could drive significant individual and team success in the coming season.