Saquon Barkley is already a big fan of Philadelphia Eagles rookie Will Shipley. The two will share the running back room this season.
The good news is they both will learn at the same time, considering Barkley signed with Philadelphia in free agency and Shipley was drafted this spring.
Barkley and Shipley could certainly be a dynamic backfield together, and it starts with the veteran.
“I saw him say that (he was excited to work with me) and it’s funny, I’m a big fan of him,” Barkley said. “I follow all the backs, I try to as much as I can, in college. I see him hurdling over guys and making big plays at Clemson. So I’m excited to have him on his team, he can help us out. For me, you know, he’s picking my brain. You know, we’re both kind of learning at the same time right now because like I said, I’m in a new playbook and a new system.
“But just trying to be the best teammate I can for him and looking at the running back room, this is the first year I’m the oldest guy in the room. So you know, that’s definitely funny to me and I think there’s some beauty in that to see how fast your time goes in here. And when you have fun with it, time flies by.”
The former Tigers star was one of the best parts of Clemson’s offense over the last few seasons.
In his freshman year, Shipley played in 10 games and averaged five yards per carry on 149 attempts with 739 yards. He also had 11 rushing touchdowns. Shipley’s best season was his sophomore season, where he played in 14 games and recorded 110 carries for 1,182 yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, and 242 yards receiving.
Shipley finished 2023 with less than double-digit touchdowns (7) for the first time at Clemson. He finished his time as a Tiger with 526 carries for 2,748 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, with 31 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns.
Barkley and Shipley headline the Eagles’ backfield behind quarterback Jalen Hurts. Presumably, Barkley is the lead back and will get the bulk of the carries in what is already a loaded offense.
Shipley could certainly carry the load but can also be a change of pace back as a rookie. Either way, the two will be part of one of the NFC’s Super Bowl contenders going into 2024.
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