Saquon Barkley didn’t judge Nick Sirianni’s book by its cover. The head coach had high praise for his Pro Bowl running back after the Eagles’ 28-3 win over the Giants. In turn, the reigning NFC Offensive Player of Week had high praise for his head coach on Friday.
“He’s so passionate about this game,” Barkley told Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor on Friday’s edition of The Pivot. “He loves the game and he’s passionate about his team. He’s passionate about his people.”
That passion made news for Sirianni’s fiery interaction with Eagles fans after the Week 6 home win over Cleveland, something for which the coach later apologized. Sirianni acknowledged that his energy should be “all in” on coaching, motivating and celebrating the team. But according to Barkley, who leads Philadelphia (4-2) into Cincinnati (3-4) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Sirianni’s energy is how the coach is able to bring the most out of his players.
“They’re not going to fire you for being yourself,” Barkley added. “This business is about wins and losses and if this team reacts to that and we feed off that then go out there and be yourself.”
Barkley jokingly expressed that he “couldn’t stand” Sirianni when he was in New York, but his perspective changed once he got to Philadelphia as a free agent this past offseason. Despite what media and fans may think, Sirianni’s passion is something that feeds the locker room and fuels the team.
“I got your back, and you got my back mentality” Barkley described as the mindset the Eagles possess. “I think it’s a beautiful thing that we have right now and that’s why I think you see we’re slowly starting to catch our groove.”
Barkley ranks third in the NFL with 658 rushing yards.
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