Saquon Barkley used the magic word when describing the future of the Philadelphia Eagles’ franchise, telling reporters that a dynasty was in the making as the green-and-white confetti fell down on him after Super Bowl 59.
Barkley — the NFL Offensive Player of the Year — racked up 97 total yards (57 rushing, 40 receiving) and broke Terrell Davis’ single-season record for most scrimmage yards. It was arguably the greatest year for a running back in NFL history, highlighted by a 40-22 victory by his Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
Saquon Barkley: ‘Why Not Start Our Dynasty Now?’
Barkley put the entire league on notice by predicting the Eagles were ready for more than just one Lombardi Trophy. In two separate post-game interviews, the 28-year-old boldly uttered the words: “Why not start our dynasty now?”
The first time he said it, he was at the podium holding his daughter, Jada, and son, Saquon Jr. The second time, he was in a champagne-and-beer-soaked locker room.
Barkley said, “I remember the first time I was in the huddle, and I looked to my left and looked to my right and could see all the Pro Bowlers and all the All-Pros on the roster and on the offense. The defense, I ain’t gonna lie, I didn’t know we would have the No. 1 defense.
“It kind of makes sense now because, with all the talent that we had, they gave us hell in practice in camp. But it’s a team effort, so just Year 1, why not? Why not start our dynasty now?”
Post-Super Bowl Comment Fueled by Champagne
The dynasty reference must have been weighing heavy on Barkley. A few days later, the Eagles’ star quickly cleared the air and pumped the brakes on his post-Super Bowl comments during a media appearance at Raising Cane’s in Trevose, PA.
When a reporter brought it up, a steely-eyed Barkley blamed the dynasty talk on knocking back a few too many glasses of champagne after the win.
“I said after the game, why can’t our dynasty start now? I probably had a little bit of champagne and some other stuff in my system at the time, but you really can’t focus on that,” Barkley said.
“You gotta enjoy the moment. It’s hard to win one, you know? You kind of — you take it in, you enjoy the moment, and you start over. And it kind of starts over after Friday. Or whenever the ring ceremony is, that’s probably the last day we truly celebrate being a Super Bowl champion and then it’s back to work.”
Saquon Barkley backtracked on his post-Super Bowl comment about starting a new dynasty in Philly …
“I probably had too much champagne and other stuff in my system … enjoy the moment. It’s hard to win one.
“It all starts over after Friday.”#Eagles #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/FbrnnmiM7H
— Michael Greger (@mike_greger) February 13, 2025
Barkley was referring to the Eagles’ championship parade, which saw approximately one million people gather in downtown Philadelphia on Valentine’s Day to honor the world champions. Players, coaches, and executives rode atop buses as Jumbotrons replayed Super Bowl 59 with the volume at full blast. The euphoria was intoxicating, something Barkley would love to drink in again next year.
“Two nights ago, I had a hard time sleeping because I’m thinking about how I’m going to attack the offseason because you kind of get — greedy’s not the word — but addicted to it,” Barkley said at the Raising Cane’s event.
“You want to find a way and think of how you can hold that Lombardi up again and do it all over again. So, you take it in, you cherish it, you enjoy it. You appreciate the fans, but the dynasty thing … you can’t really get caught up in that, and the way you do that is by putting the work in. There’s a reason why we won. It’s not by accident, so we gotta try and do it all over again next year.”
Eagles Approaching Dynasty Status
The Eagles have now raised the Lombardi Trophy twice in the last seven years while appearing in three Super Bowls. Taking it back even further — between 2000 and 2025 — the franchise has four total Super Bowl appearances, plus eight NFC Championship Games and 11 NFC East titles.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman have truly built an elite program, finally fulfilling Lurie’s long ago promise of the Eagles being the “gold standard” of the NFL.
The Eagles officially own the 21st century when it comes to the NFC East teams.
The 2000-2024 seasons belong to the Eagles. Four Super Bowl appearances, 2 Super Bowl wins, 8 NFCCG appearances, 11 division titles.
The greatest two-decade stretch of Eagles football. pic.twitter.com/ygVoWJRfnb
— Philly Sports Network (@PhiladelphiaSN) February 15, 2025
Barkley’s personal journey to Super Bowl supremacy was seven years in the making. His first six seasons were spent wasting away on mostly bad Giants teams in New York.
Not anymore. Not in Philadelphia. He was fitted for his first Super Bowl ring on Feb. 13.
“Seven years ago … if you had asked me at that time, or if you would have said it would have taken seven years to win the Super Bowl, I thought it would have been a lot easier,” Barkley said. “But there’s been a lot of adversity, a lot of ups and downs, but it is the perfect timing to do it here, to do it as a part of this city and with these fans. It’s truly amazing.”