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The Philadelphia Eagles opened their 2026 training camp Wednesday, and for Saquon Barkley, it marked another step in mastering a completely revamped offensive scheme under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion. The veteran running back, who has long admired the wide zone run system popularized by Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, is relishing the opportunity to start from scratch.
Barkley spent nearly a minute praising the changes after Wednesday's practice, noting the shift away from the inside zone-heavy approach of previous Eagles offenses. The first play of camp saw Philadelphia line up under center and execute a stretch toss in 12 personnel, a clear departure from past tendencies.
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Barkley's excitement stems partly from his struggles last season under former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, where he rushed for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns as the Eagles went 11-6 and lost in the wild-card round. This came one year after Barkley's dream debut in Philadelphia, when he became the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns en route to an MVP-caliber season. While acknowledging that growing pains are inevitable, Barkley views the new system as a chance to refresh his approach. '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.' He emphasized the one-cut mentality required for outside zone, a skill he has been working on since entering the league.
Originally reported by headtopics.