Saquon Barkley says he loves the challenge of ‘learning a new language’ in Sean Mannion’s offense
Can Barkley and the Eagles' running game get back on track? Day 1 of training camp was an important step in that direction.
Saquon Barkley has long been an admirer of the wide zone run scheme. He’d study film of running backs like Todd Gurley — who thrived with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay — and think about what he might look like in an offense like that.
Now he doesn’t have to daydream.
The Eagles held their first training camp practice of 2026 on Wednesday, which means Barkley and Co. got another important taste of life under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, whose playbook looks similar to McVay and Kyle Shanahan’s. It’s only Day 1, but the play calls were a major deviation from the inside zone-heavy Eagles offenses of the past. This was evident from the very first play, when Jalen Hurts — lined up under center — ran a stretch toss in “12″ personnel (1 running back, 2 wide receivers, 2 tight ends).
How fired up is Barkley about these changes? He spent nearly a minute lauding them after Wednesday’s practice.
“I’ve always been intrigued with this kind of system,” Barkley said. “Watching it kind of from afar and seeing a lot of guys have a lot of success in it. The thing that changes for me is we coach it a little bit different. Outside zone and wide zone, the read is pretty much the same, but just trying to get more of a one-cut mindset.
“I feel like naturally in my career, unless you are in a system like in college, most of us come from gun and playing shotgun. … You’re more natural to a duo, or to like an inside zone. Then, when you get into the NFL, you see a lot of guys struggle with outside zone in the beginning, but I’ve been working on that the whole time and just having that one-cut mentality, but still doing it in a way that I like to get out of the cut and being efficient and being aligned with the offensive line and in the play and making it work.”
Barkley’s excitement for a new system likely stems from his struggles (relative to his usual success) in the Eagles’ offense last season. The 29-year-old rushed for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns under OC Kevin Patullo, as the Eagles went 11-6 and lost to the 49ers in the wild-card round. This came one year after Barkley’s dream first season in Philadelphia, during which he became the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 yards and logged 13 rushing touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl crown.
Of course, it’s only Day 1. Growing pains and adjustments are inevitable. But with Mannion in the mix, Barkley feels rejuvenated — even if it means “starting from scratch.”
“I think it’s pretty cool that you start it from scratch again,” Barkley said. “Learning a new language, getting familiar with a new system. It’s fun. The way you take notes is a little bit different than you would … It’s going to put you in a spot to do something new, something you may not be used to. But as a competitor, you welcome that challenge.”