Philadelphia Eagles expected to have ‘strong interest’ in signing Saquon Barkley: report

For years, Penn State fans from the Philadelphia area have been forced to root against Saquon Barkley — or at least root for his New York Giants to lose. But there’s a chance now that the former Penn State star could be staying in the NFC East and joining Philadelphia.

The Eagles, as well as the Houston Texans, are expected to have “strong interest” in signing Barkley, according to a Monday report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Barkley, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is a free agent after the New York Giants decided not to franchise tag him last week. The former Nittany Lion spent his first six years in the NFL with the Giants after being drafted by New York with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Barkley was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year in 2018 and reached the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2022. His career has been hampered by injuries, but when healthy few have been as productive as the Coplay native. Barkley totaled 5,211 rushing yards, 2,100 receiving yards and 47 total touchdowns in 74 games over six seasons with the Giants.

Now, there’s a possibility that Barkley could bring that dynamism to Philadelphia. The Eagles are without a top running back after D’Andre Swift left in free agency. Swift is reportedly signing a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chicago Bears. Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny are also free agents. The only tailback on the current roster is Kenneth Gainwell.

It should be noted that it would be out of character for general manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles to sign Barkley. Roseman isn’t one to hand out big money multi-year contracts to free agent running backs. Typically, he and the Eagles prefer one-year, low-risk deals at the position.

The Eagles also aren’t the only interested party. The Texans, with their exciting young offense and abundance of cap space, have been seen as a favorite. The Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys are also expected to be in the running.

But the idea of Barkley suiting up for the Eagles — sharing a backfield with Jalen Hurts and being another weapon on a team that features AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith — is tantalizing.