Saquon Barkley on this elite coach: ‘I couldn’t stand that motherf***er’
The Eagles star spoke about his current head coach before he knew him well.
When was your last ‘don’t knock it until you try it’ moment? Cranberry sauce? ABBA? The film Notting Hill? For Saquon Barkley, it was Nick Sirianni.
The Eagles running back was speaking to ABC6’s Jason Dumas over the festive period, when he admitted what he previously thought of his current coach.
Dear mummy and daddy: if you are reading this to your kids, the 11th word from now is best replaced with ‘silly sausage’: “I couldn’t stand that motherf***er," Saquon said.
Saquon Barkley had one of the greatest practice performances ever 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/FavtxvULO0
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) December 19, 2025
“I couldn’t stand that motherf***er... I wasn’t a fan of him”
However, after his first full season under Sirianni, Barkley’s opinion has changed drastically: “I couldn’t stand that motherf***er. I could not... I wasn’t a fan of him. Now being here and seeing how obsessed he is, ‘Hard Knocks’ and behind the scenes that we have, that you guys are able to see with him coaching, it doesn’t really do it enough justice,” he said, via ABC6. “He’s so obsessed with the little things, and there’s a reason why this team has been super successful.
“It’s been pretty cool to be able to go from, going against him and not being a fan of him and seeing what he’s all about. I think he does a really good job. He’s the perfect coach for Philadelphia.”
Barkley has thrived under his coach, with his successes including a Super Bowl win earlier in the 2025 season and another NFC East title this year, wins that further solidified Sirianni’s position as one of the league’s top talents on the sidelines. Barkley himself has enjoyed individual milestones too, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards and becoming a central figure in Philadelphia’s offence.
SAQUON BARKLEY IS NOT HUMAN.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 22, 2025
THIS SPIN IS MAGICAL 😱😱😱
SPECIAL TALENT. SLO-MO CINEMA.
pic.twitter.com/hIHi1ICHaQ
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The Eagles are NFC East champions, having won 10 of 15 games this season. They finished ahead of second placed Dallas Cowboys and take on the Bills next, at Highmark Stadium on December 28 at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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