Saquon Barkley performed a breathtaking backward hurdle during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. The iconic play went viral all over social media, and fans and players were stunned by it.
Not even 20 days have passed since Barkley made that move, and Electronic Arts has already added the animation in Madden 25.
Fans React to EA Adding Saquon Barkley’s Hurdle in Madden 25
After it was revealed that you can do backward hurdles on the game’s latest edition, fans had varying opinions. Some thought it was cool to do such a thing in Madden, while others criticized the company for adding such features rather than fixing the issues that have been present in the game for several years.
Here’s how fans who did not like the feature reacted:
Yall can’t fix important issues with the game but yall can hurry and add backwards hurdles @EAMaddenNFL
This is why the game is 50 percent off after being released for 3 months https://t.co/WNwC7plov0
— TheOne (@Numba1Hate262h) November 20, 2024
“That’s not even a realistic time to use it, so it’s no wonder this game is awful,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “But they won’t fix the millions of serious issues in the game. Frauds.”
“Yo EA fix the game please and make it more realistic”
EA: “nahhh all we’re gonna do is release the same game for the last years but we’re gonna add the Patrick Mahomes Superman throw and Saquon hurdle. That’s it”
— TheEpicSalad ™ (@TheEpic_Salad) November 20, 2024
Here are some of the positive reactions from the fans who liked EA’s move:
Yeah this is absolutely fire lmao https://t.co/261jlUHivA
— Evan Sowards (@EvanSowards) November 20, 2024
“That’s sick,” wrote one fan.
“W Madden for this,” said another fan.
I will be purchasing Madden solely for this https://t.co/q1O3B8e3Iy
— Connor Griffin (@RealCGriff) November 20, 2024
Over the years, fans have been upset with EA’s efforts in building their games, including Madden and even the NHL franchise. The company does add some flashy animations or features that are good for the game, but the fans do not appreciate it as they solely want the gameplay to improve.
However, this criticism is not only reserved for EA. Fans of the NBA2K franchise and MLB The Show franchise have also expressed their issues with the respective games. We are at that point in time where no matter what the game developers do, people will find some flaws in it. So, fans’ opinions differing on EA adding Barkley’s reverse hurdle in Madden 25 should not come as a surprise.
Barkley Has Been the Eagles’ Best Player This Season
Many thought the Eagles made the wrong decision in signing Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal this offseason. The consensus was that paying an aging running back was not a wise decision, but Philadelphia took the risk and is now reaping the rewards of it.
The 27-year-old Penn State product has been the best player for the Eagles this season. In 10 games, he has rushed for 1,137 yards and touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He also has 23 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Barkley leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,347 and is averaging an exceptional 134.7 yards from scrimmage per game. His presence on the field has helped everyone, including QB Jalen Hurts, who, with every week, is looking more like he did two seasons ago.
The Eagles are 8-2 on the season and are on a six-game winning streak since their bye week. They will face the Los Angeles Rams this week on Sunday Night Football, and Barkley will have another opportunity to showcase how special he is in a prime-time fixture.