NFL Rumors: Teams Predict Saquon Barkley Has 'McCaffrey-to-49ers' Impact with Eagles

It hasn't taken long for star running back Saquon Barkley to impress his new team, as it sounds like many believe he can be a game-changer for the Philadelphia Eagles.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday's episode of SportsCenter that many around the league are expecting big things out of Barkley in his first year in the City of Brotherly Love.

"The feeling around the league talking to several teams is that Saquon Barkley will make a major impact, maybe even like a Christian McCaffrey-to-49ers type impact because he's never had this sort of supporting cast, this kind of offensive line," Fowler said. "He's going to make [Jalen] Hurts' job a lot easier."

McCaffrey was traded to San Francisco during the 2022 season and immediately became the focal point of the team's offense. He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year after his stellar 2023 campaign and helped lead the 49ers to an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs.

If Barkley can make a similar impact with the Eagles, the starving Philadelphia fan base will be more than satisfied.

Barkley signed a three-year contract with the Eagles in March after spending the first six seasons of his career with the New York Giants. He played 14 games in 2023 and rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns on 247 carries while adding 41 catches for 280 yards and four more scores.

The Eagles are coming off a disappointing finish to the 2023 season in which they were bounced from the playoffs in the NFC Wild Card Round. The presence of Barkley will give Philadelphia a better chance at competing for a spot in the Super Bowl once again this year.