Saquon Barkley on pace for most touches for RB in 10 years; how Eagles will manage his carries going forward

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley is getting every cent worth of what the Philadelphia Eagles are paying him. 

Barkley has 52 touches through two games, having exactly 26 in each game he’s played with the Eagles. If Barkley continues that pace, he’ll finish his first season in Philadelphia with 442 touches — the most for any running back since DeMarco Murray in 2014. 

The Eagles are aware how much Barkley is getting the football this early in the season. 

“Obviously from a longevity standpoint as the season progresses, we’ve got to be aware of it,” Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said Thursday. “We certainly recognize that and understand that aspect of it. We’ve got to do at times a better job of that as the game goes on, especially when you look at it more from a week-to-week perspective.”

Barkley has been productive with the high volume of touches. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry in Week 1 (24 carries) and 4.3 in Week 2 (22 carries), while averaging 4.8 yards per touch — his highest mark since 2019 (Barkley’s second year with the Giants). 

Does Barkley feel like he’s getting too many touches? He doesn’t seem concerned. 

“I think we do a good job of managing that here,” Barkley said after his 26-touch performance in Week 1. “Whether I do that on my own or take care of my body. Our guys in the strength room and training room do a really great job of monitoring that. 

“I have no worries about that. That’s why I train the way I do in the offseason, and the work I do in camp and in season to be able to take on the workload.”

Even if Barkley can handle the workload, the long-term effects for a running back on pace for that many touches a game isn’t good. DeMarco Murray had 449 touches in that 2014 season, then followed to have the lowest yards-per-carry average of his career (3.6)– his first and only season with the Eagles. Le’Veon Bell had 406 touches in 2017, then held out in 2018 for a lucrative contract extension. Bell returned in 2019 with a new team and had the second-lowest yards per carry average (3.3) amongst running backs that amassed 250+ carries over the last three seasons. 

The Eagles will have to monitor Barkley’s workload if they want him to be as efficient as he’s been the first two games over the life of his contract. 

“I think that’s definitely fair,” Moore said of Barkley’s workload. “I think Saquon — he wants the rock. He’s done a phenomenal job.”