Saquon Barkley reveals what he learned training with Jalen Hurts this offseason, how it fits Eagles culture

PHILADELPHIA -- Saquon Barkley wasn't surprised how competitive Jalen Hurts was when the two trained together this offseason. Since signing with the Philadelphia Eagles back in March, Barkley and Hurts got together prior to the start of the offseason in preparation for what's to come.

Barkley saw the type of player Hurts was on the New York Giants sideline prior to becoming his teammate. Now, the two have an even better appreciation for each other.

"You always admire from afar," Barkley said. "Not just Jalen, but A.J. [Brown], Dallas [Goedert], BG [Brandon Graham], all those guys over the last couple years I've been going against. You get to see how competitive they are, you get to see the work they put in and actually why they are so successful. It's not just based off of talent.

"This team comes in every day with the right mindset and work every day, and it starts with Jalen. It's an honor to be a part of all that."

Hurts has played a significant role with the Eagles culture over the last several years, helping the team win a lot of football games. The Eagles brought in Barkley to help Hurts and Co. get over the hump. Barkley is the best running back Hurts has played with since he entered the NFL .

"I've always heard about him being a freak athlete, the explosiveness, the speed, the strength," Hurts said. "And so to see it day in and day out has been cool. I'm just very excited to have him on board."

Hurts and Barkley are competitive by nature, which helps both bring out the best in each other. That competitiveness was shown in training camp, the only time both players took reps with each other (both Hurts and Barkley didn't play in the preseason).

The excitement for Hurts and Barkley taking the field together for a regular-season game begins this week. All that offseason training will come to fruition.

"I'm super excited," Barkley said. "I'm conscious enough to also know that it's Week 1. Whether we go out there and put up 50 points or really struggle in the beginning, the most important thing is to come out with a win. You can't get too caught up in Week 1.

"It's a long season, but we wanna start the season off hot and start the season off fast. The way we can do that is by executing the game plan."