If it wasn't clear before, the Philadelphia Eagles go as Saquon Barkley does. Last season, it was all the way to a Super Bowl championship.
But as the Eagles prepare for their title defense, a minor goal for the team to accomplish is to make sure they aren't overworking the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
At 28 years old, Barkley is on the precipice where most running backs in league history begin to break down and end their own careers. Last season, Barkley ran for a career-high 2,005 yards but on over 400 total touches counting the postseason.
That's why the Eagles signed former Green Bay Packers power back AJ Dillon - a player to take some of the load off Barkley as the organization looks to get more balanced as a roster.
Dillon knows that the team revolves around Barkley, but that doesn't mean he's willing to take a backseat. He's ready to compete right from the very beginning.
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"I'm just excited to go out there every time, make the most out of every opportunity," Dillon said. "If you're a football fan, you know about the Eagles' offensive line, and so I'm definitely excited to meet them first, and then get out there and compete with those guys, run behind them, earn their trust."
Dillon wants to "compete" with the line … and in a most healthy way, "compete" against Saquon.
Running behind one of the best offensive lines in football like the Eagles have should make life somewhat easy for Dillon at this point.
And while he'll certainly be a reserve to start the 2025 season, there are plenty of backup runners worse than the ones Philadelphia is relying on.
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This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 5:06 PM.