Seven months ago, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX. Last Thursday night, the Eagles began their title defense with a 24-20 win over the visiting Dallas Cowboys. A divisional win to start the season off makes a 1-0 start just a little sweeter. On Sunday, the Eagles will face the Chiefs once again, this time in Kansas City. Ahead of the Super Bowl LIX rematch, Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley warned the reigning AFC champions, as well as the rest of the NFL, of the dangers of not stopping the Eagles' run game. Team beat reporter Tim McManus shared Barkley's warning via X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.
“You’d be a fool if you’re going to let us walk into whatever stadium…and your focal point is not going to be stopping the run. And if that’s the case, we’re going to burn you for it.”
Saquon Barkley assesses what happened in Week 1, and what the “theme” of this year will be. pic.twitter.com/sIGa4uAZi8
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) September 12, 2025
“You’d be a fool if you’re going to let us walk into whatever stadium…and your focal point is not going to be stopping the run,” said Barkley to McManus and the press. And if that’s the case, we’re going to burn you for it.”
That's a fair assessment from Barkley, because the Eagles rode an electric run game to their Super Bowl win. Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts routinely expose the flaws in other teams' rush defenses. All three of Philadelphia's touchdowns in the season-opening win were on the ground, with Hurts running in two of them. Barkley picked up the third, running for 60 yards on 18 carries. Hurts pitched in 62 yards on the ground with 14 carries. Backups Will Shipley and A.J. Dillon also had three attempts apiece. Can the Eagles continue to lean on the run game to make another run to Super Bowl LX next February?
Eagles look to defeat Chiefs for the second time in 2025

While the Week 2 rematch against the Chiefs is a massive game, will it be similar to February's outcome? Both teams have kept all the major pieces from that matchup. The Eagles played an uneven game against the Cowboys, yet still came out with the win. That's something a Super Bowl champion is expected to do. Meanwhile, the Chiefs' rocky performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil led to a 27-21 defeat.
There's certainly a good chance that the Eagles and Chiefs will meet each other in New Orleans next February. While both teams would need to fight their way through a pool of contenders, each of them has the talent to compete for a Super Bowl once again. Will the two sides face off once again in Super Bowl 60? If so, the legs of Barkley and Hurts will likely have carried Philadelphia there.