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Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski predicted running back Saquon Barkley to bounce back during the 2026 NFL season.
The Philadelphia Eagles offense could greatly benefit from a bounce back season from quarterback Jalen Hurts this fall. The unit, though, could equally gain an advantage if the Saquon Barkley of old returned.
Barkley had more than 800 fewer yards on the ground while scoring six fewer touchdowns last season than 2024.
It’s wishful thinking to believe Barkley has a shot at repeating his 2024 numbers. However, Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski predicted the All-Pro running back to respond with a bounce back season this fall.
“Barkley won’t ever have another season like he did in 2024, because, I mean, that’s an incredibly high bar. But also, subjectively speaking here of course, he did not have the same explosion in 2025 that he had in 2024, in my opinion. That’s not to say that he wasn’t explosive. He just didn’t seem to have the same extreme turbo-charged juice he had in 2024,” wrote Kempski.
“Still, he should be more efficient in 2026.”
A big reason why Barkley had less production last season was his decline in efficiency. He went from averaging 5.8 yards per carry in 2024 to 4.1 in 2025.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb