The Philadelphia Eagles are still flying high after their victory in Super Bowl 59. Now the Eagles are ready to defend their title and repeat as Super Bowl champions during the 2025 season. They need every player locked in if they want have another historic season this fall. Perhaps that's why one Barkley is stepping away from a unique opportunity.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley explained why he declined to join President Trump's new fitness council on Monday.
“A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council. So I'm not really too familiar with it,” Barkley said after training camp practice, per ESPN's Tim McManus. “I felt like I am going to be super busy, so me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I'm assuming it's something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.”
Trump signed an executive order on July 31st that established the council. The council is tasked with advising the president and recommending actions on school-based programs that reward excellent in physical education.
Another one of the council's stated goals is reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test, which was a mainstay in American schools from 1966 through 2013.
The council will have up to 30 members, including multiple NFL figures.
Trump named NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as well as Nick Bosa, Tua Tagovailoa, Harrison Butker, and Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as council members.
Eagles face important Saquon Barkley question following 2,000-yards 2024 season
The Eagles face one important question ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Barkley had an incredible 2024 season, rushing for over 2,000 yards. He did so on the back of 378 total touches, which is a huge workload for any NFL player.
Now Philadelphia needs to decide how much is too much for their superstar running back.
Eagles new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo shared his perspective on Barkley's workload in a recent interview.
“I think it's very game-specific. It depends on how the flow of the game goes,” Patullo said. “He does a really good job of knowing himself, of knowing when he needs to come out, when he wants to go back in. So a lot of that will be on him, obviously, during games, and he's really good about paying attention to that.”
The Eagles will likely be careful with Barkley's touches like they were in Week 18 of the 2024 season.
Eagles fans will be happy as long as Barkley and the team keep winning games.
