Are you a Saquon Barkley fan? This new update from the Eagles may surprise you. Yeah, what you read in the headline is happening for real even as we build up to the Super Bowl. The Eagles are fully ready to tackle the four-time SB champion Chiefs in New Orleans on February 9. And after Barkley’s 205-yard and 118-yard rushes in the divisional and championship games, respectively, fans are awaiting another big showing from the Eagles #26. 

But before the flock lands in New Orleans, a Philadelphia reporter has revealed that the Eagles have already met with Barkley’s successor. The Philadelphia Sports Network reporter Anthony DiBon took to X to drop a nuke. He wrote, “Eagles met with Miami (FL) RB Damien Martinez at the Senior Bowl, per source.” Explosive! After finding success with their rushing game this season, it looks like the Eagles will make the Miami Hurricanes running back their top draft target. 

The 21-year-old Damien Martinez has also played college football at Oregon State. The 5’11” RB was named the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2023. Great, right? His draft stock has only risen after his transfer to Miami. Martinez has rushed for 1,002 yards and was able to score 10 rushing touchdowns this season.

But wait… Saquon is first in rushing yards this season and close to breaking Eric Dickerson‘s legendary record. The 27-year-old is also 1st in the rushing attempts (CAR) this season in the NFL with 345 attempts. So, you must be thinking, why did this debate and RB search even start when the Eagles have Barkley? Well, when Barkley was traded from the Giants, he bagged a three-year $37,750,000 contract. That means the star RB could explore other opportunities in 2026 when his contract ends with the Eagles.

That is why, though confident in Saquon Barkley, Nick Sirianni is searching for a ‘plan B’ as the NFL draft comes around in a couple of months. Plus, it never hurts to have two amazing RBs in your squad or be prepared for the future. So, will Martinez get the opportunity to learn from Saquon Barkley and grow into his shoes? Only time will tell! 

But wait, apart from this, another piece of news has shocked Philadelphia! This time it is not bad news but a surprise. The Eagles and their star running back may get a chance to play in front of 100,000 football fans in the coming season. Roger Goodell has announced a surprise.

NFL’s season-opener plan for Saquon Barkley and the Eagles

Do you remember when the Eagles played their first game of the 2024 season against the Packers in Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena, Brazil? Yeah, the same game where Brazil’s gangs wanted both teams to not wear green jerseys. The Eagles won the game 34-29, with 3 TDs from Barkley in his official debut for the franchise. Now it looks like they’re being rewarded with the opportunity to fly out to another international destination. 

The NFL has announced that the Eagles and Los Angeles Rams will be kicking off the 2026 NFL season in Australia. Surprise, surprise! Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, had already announced that the league would be having at least six games outside the United States of America, and here we go. The NFL has also declared that the league is planning for 18 regular season games soon instead of 17, but there have been no official updates. Fans may be happy about this, but the decision was upsetting for Packers legend Brett Favre. 

Well, change isn’t always good. But the international games are a great opportunity for football fans the world over to watch their favorite players live. The Aussies will hope to witness some of that Saquon magic too!