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Saquon Barkley reacts to news he isn't getting traded by Eagles
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- Saquon Barkley reacts to news he isn't getting traded by Eagles
Saquon Barkley reacts to news he isn't getting traded by Eagles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
LANDOVER, Md. — Some players would want out. They'd want to be given a chance to jump ship and use their talents to help a team destined for the playoffs make a Super Bowl run.
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Not Saquon Barkley.
The 29-year-old running back on Sunday night said the Eagles have told him what was reported earlier in the morning: That the team is not moving him ahead of next week's trade deadline.
"I would love to be here. I plan on being here," Barkley said after the Eagles' 27-10 loss to the Commanders. "I don't like the way the season's going. I'm not one of those guys that's like, 'Oh, the season's not going the way we [want], let's jump ship.' That's not the type of personality I have. Not the type of person I am.
"So I'd rather be part of … right now we have a problem to fix. And hopefully I could be one of the reasons why we fix it."
Barkley on Sunday night played through hamstring and back injuries that were clearly hindering him, just like they did a week ago against Dallas. Barkley was on a pitch count against the Commanders and whenever he wasn't on the field, he was stretching and trying to stay loose on the sideline.
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He ended up with 13 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown and a catch for 24 yards. Barkley is clearly nowhere near 100 percent right now and he's battling through these injuries for a team that just lost its sixth straight game.
Is there any part of Barkley that questions whether or not it's worth it to play through injuries for a team that's struggling like this?
"No," Barkley said flatly.
On Sunday night, Barkley didn't want to make it about his injuries. The Eagles had a plan for his workload and Barkley praised Elijah Mitchell for filling in when he was on the sideline.
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But it's clearly taking a lot for Barkley to play in these games.
"It's football. Everybody's going through something," he said. "I don't want to try to make mine seem like it's any more or less than anybody else. I'm just frustrated because my mind is there but with the hammy and all that stuff, my body is not really where I need to be right now. But I just gotta keep grinding, rehabbing. Just continue to try to get stronger and better."
When asked about the mindset after a loss like the one the Eagles suffered on Sunday night, Barkley said the team needs to stick together and lock in on details. Those details, he said, are killing them.
A big part of the reason the Eagles are keeping Barkley is because he's expected to be a big part of the 2027 team. When healthy this year, Barkley has looked like a dynamic running back. And if the Eagles are able to turn this around quickly next year, having Barkley will help.
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But after Barkley rushed for 2,000 yards in a Super Bowl season in 2024, these Eagles look nothing like that version. These Eagles have been bullied in back-to-back weeks by two division teams.
"I feel like teams are taking shots on us, yeah," Barkley said. "That's how it works. That's how it goes. We're not the big bad Eagles anymore, I guess, right? We got to understand that, but we still have the talent. We still have a lot of talent."
Even though he's been banged up, Barkley is still one of the most talented players on the team. And now we know he won't be on the move in the next week.
