One Trophy Away
Barkley Is the 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
His Eye Is On the Bigger Prize.
Even though the 2025 NFL Honors Awards were in New Orleans on Thursday night — the same city where the Eagles are currently staying — Saquon Barkley never planned on attending lost amidst the incredibly well-dressed people on the red carpet.
Part of that monumental decision derives from the fact that the 2024–2025 Philadelphia Eagles season is still going on.
PHOTO: Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Even the thirty-five votes that put Barkley over the top with the best season ever by a running back with just over 2,000 yards wasn’t enough to distract the Eagles All-Star from keeping his attention on the Kansas City Chiefs. Barkley was not in attendance to win the 2024-2025 Offensive Player of the Year but did record a video of his acceptance speech.
For Barkley — the sparkling outline of that golden trophy is still not the one he’s looking for. Many may have doubts whether a resurgence of Nick Sirianni’s collapsed 2023 Eagles could return to football’s biggest stage when they landed Barkley for $37.75 Million last March. All except for the Eagles and Saquon Barkley — who could have gone anywhere as the biggest free agent running back in 2024 — chose Philadelphia because he could envision this moment. He knows that neither an AP Offensive Player of the Year Trophy nor a George Halas NFC Championship Trophy is enough for this group of Eagles.
Eric Allen Inducted
One other Eagle would come away with honors on this night.
Former Eagles cornerback Eric Allen will be among the class inducted into the 2025 NFL Hall of Fame.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s — you didn’t want to face the Eagles defense.
And you certainly didn’t want to be a receiver against them. If you were fortunate enough to shake the lockdown coverage of Eric Allen rarely, then you would pulverized by thunderous, jawbreaking hits from Eagles Safeties Wes Hopkins and Andre Waters. If you crossed the middle of the field, you wouldn’t run that route twice. If you run the ball into the second level, you’d have an earth-shattering, eardrum-ringing hit coming—your choice.
Eric Allen was taken by NFL talent guru Buddy Ryan’s radar in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft. Much like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean — he made an almost instant impact.
In seven seasons with the Eagles — Allen was First-Team All-Pro in 1989, 2nd Team All-Pro in 1991 and 1993, a six-time Pro Bowler, and earned honors from the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team in 1988. He was also a member of the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team and is a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame.
PHOTO: Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
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