LFG Times Three: Saquon Barkley Reacts to Winning Tom Brady Honor for Third Time

KANSAS CITY — Saquon Barkley not only went home with a win in his first game at Arrowhead Stadium, but he also took home some familiar hardware after helping the Eagles grind out a 20-17 win over the Chiefs on Sunday.

His role in the win, including 88 rushing yards and a touchdown, earned postgame honors on FOX Sports’ broadcast, winning Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game. It’s a nod Barkley knows well. He’s the first three-time winner of the award, having won it in last year’s wild-card round against the Packers and in the NFC Championship Game win vs. the Commanders.

“To have an award you can get that’s named after Tom Brady, that’s pretty cool to me,” said Barkley, who was Brady’s pick as LFG Player of the Year after last season as well. “Growing up, being a football fan, being a fan of Tom Brady, to have three of them, it’s fun.”

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Eagles RB Saquon Barkley | Week 2 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Barkley was a bit more surprised by another NFL legend who came up to him after the game and wanted to congratulate him: Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has already had his hands full trying to contain him twice in 2025.

“He grabbed me, [said he] was looking for me after the Super Bowl,” Barkley stated. “That was fairly cool when somebody I’ve a lot respect for and the league has a lot respect for, finds you after the sport, so I actually appreciated that.”

Barkley and Spagnuolo have a historical past collectively, in that earlier than he was drafted in 2018, Barkley labored out with efficiency coach Tom Shaw in Orlando, and Spagnuolo was working as a guide there.

Barkley’s remaining numbers on Sunday included 10 runs for 28 yards when the Eagles have been attempting to shut out the sport and Kansas Metropolis knew they’d be operating.

“The mindset was ‘Be affected person,'” Barkley stated. “We did a very good job of that. Typically, you get into these conditions the place the run’s not attractive or we’re not passing attractive and we’re on the market chasing, and you place your self in bother. However we caught with it, and we knew the mindset was going to be ‘No matter it takes to win.'”

After the Chiefs scored with three minutes left to drag inside a area aim, they wanted stops to get the ball again. However Barkley’s remaining carry went for 9 yards, establishing the conversion that allowed the Eagles to take a knee and seal a hard-fought win.

“Two-six confirmed up after we wanted him to,” quarterback Jalen Hurts stated. “Defensively, they performed lights out. Offensively, we confirmed up after we wanted to. We simply need to proceed to construct.”

The Eagles gained regardless of solely 216 yards of offense, their fourth-fewest in any win since 2000. It wasn’t prolific, it wasn’t dominating, but it surely was sufficient to get them to 2-0 to open the season, with room for development.

“I had some good runs and a few runs I left on the market,” Barkley stated. “I’ll be higher for them. That is the fantastic thing about it. It is simpler to be taught from it after a win, however it’s important to strategy it with the mindset of ‘How can I get higher? How can we enhance?’ We’ll do this throughout.”

Barkley’s manufacturing was most vital as a result of every first down stored the Chiefs’ offense and Patrick Mahomes off the sphere, an excellent technique in any stadium.

“I am a giant fan of Mahomes,” he stated. “I believe he is among the finest gamers within the NFL. He exhibits that … each single recreation. A lot respect to him.

“Nevertheless it does not matter who’s over there. On the finish of the day, that is the mindset we now have to proceed to have.”

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade masking the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Instances and The Athletic. You may comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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