Saquon Barkley is not taking his No. 1 spot on the NFL’s top-100 rankings for granted.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back was named the best player in the annual list voted on by active players around the league. Players are supposed to cast their votes based on player performance from the previous season.
Barkley got the news of his achievement just moments before his interview on this year’s “NFL Top 100” show. The production team then showed Saquon a video of several high-profile names explaining why they voted him No. 1. Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson, Pat Surtain II, Lane Johnson, Brock Purdy, and the newly traded Micah Parsons were among those backing Barkley in the video.
“It feels amazing to see that video and be selected number one,” Barkley said not long after finding out about his place in the NFL top-100 rankings. “From my peers, it just makes it so much better. And, to be honest, watching this show for a very long time, you know, you always want to be number one or [ranked] really high.
“You get love and appreciation from fans and from the outside world, but when it’s from your peers, it generally means so much more.”
.@Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is ranked No. 1 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025!@NFLFilms @Saquon pic.twitter.com/HU2x7kL8r2
— NFL (@NFL) September 2, 2025
Barkley ranked just ahead of No. 2 Lamar Jackson and No. 3 Josh Allen. Saquon rose to first this season after landing at No. 86 on last year’s list.
In his first season in Philly, Barkley shattered the Eagles’ single-season rushing record with 2,005 yards on 345 carries. He became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards and had a serious shot at breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time record.
The massive leap in the rankings was understandable given the numbers, but his impact was felt far beyond the stat sheet. Barkley was making one-of-a-kind plays and captivating fans en route to leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl. He also made New York Giants fans salty over the team letting him go.
Those are things numbers cannot fully quantify.
