After being voted the NFL's No. 1 player a year ago, Saquon Barkley dropped to No. 34 in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026, the annual player-voted ranking, following his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley is the fifth Eagles player to appear on the list so far, joining quarterback Jalen Hurts (No. 56), cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (No. 47), linebacker Zack Baun (No. 45) and Cooper DeJean (No. 38).
Barkley's 2024 season set an NFL rushing record
Last season, Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to have over 2,000 rushing yards and broke the record for most rushing yards in a single NFL season, including playoffs, playing a pivotal role in the Eagles' Super Bowl-winning season. He was named Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
In 2025, Barkley still had a good season, finishing with 1,140 rushing yards, 10th in the NFL, and seven touchdowns. While the production dropped from his record-setting 2024 campaign, the decline was not due to a drastic falloff from the running back.
Eagles offensive line injuries drove Barkley's dip
In fact, Barkley's missed-tackle rate improved in 2025. Instead, Philadelphia's offensive line dealt with injuries throughout the season. Lane Johnson missed seven games, Cam Jurgens missed three games and Landon Dickerson battled a lingering injury all year. The Eagles' preferred starting offensive line played every offensive snap together just once.
The impact showed in the run game, as Philadelphia's run-blocking grade fell from 84.1 in 2024 to 75.9 in 2025. Barkley's yards-before-contact per rush dropped from approximately 1.2 yards.
Despite the statistical dip, Barkley's reputation around the league remains strong.
"Man, he's special," Las Vegas Raiders' rookie running back Ashton Jeanty said.
Sean Mannion scheme could set up a Barkley bounce-back
With new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, Barkley may not need to carry such a heavy workload, with Tank Bigsby reportedly earning significant opportunities in training camp and working extensively with the first-team offense. Barkley led the league in attempts in 2024 and was sixth in 2025.
A fresh Barkley behind an offensive line that is one of the best in the league when healthy is a scary sight for opposing defenses. Add in a dynamic play caller who can establish the ground game and utilize running backs in the passing game, along with an additional year of chemistry with quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Barkley could be in line for a huge bounce-back season.
