Saquon Barkley’s appearance on the cover of the Madden NFL video game marks a historic moment for the Philadelphia Eagles, the first since Donovan McNabb graced it in 2005. Unlike McNabb, a homegrown talent drafted and developed by the Eagles, Barkley arrived as a free agent from the rival New York Giants, a move some Giants fans view as a betrayal. The Giants’ decision to let Barkley walk has been widely criticized as a catastrophic misstep, especially after he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory and shattered the franchise’s rushing record. “They made a real big mistake, and I think it’s going to cost them a little bit,” McNabb told Fox News Digital, reflecting on the Giants’ blunder.
However, for McNabb, a former Eagles quarterback who played his entire Philadelphia career under head coach Andy Reid, there’s a franchise mistake that looms even larger: the Eagles’ decision to part ways with Reid after the 2012 season. McNabb, traded to the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) in 2010, believes the Eagles’ mishandling of both his departure and Reid’s firing set the franchise back more than the Giants’ loss of Barkley ever could. “There’s a couple mistakes they made. I was first and Andy followed,” McNabb said. “Now you sit back, and you start to watch, and you see how [Reid’s] career has gone to a different level.”
Reid’s tenure with the Eagles was impressive, boasting a 130-93 (.583) regular-season record and a 10-9 (.526) playoff record over 14 years, including a Super Bowl appearance in 2004. Yet, the Eagles fell short of a championship under his leadership. After his departure, Reid took over the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, transforming them into a powerhouse with a 143-53 (.730) regular-season record and an 18-8 (.692) playoff record, including three Super Bowl victories and two additional appearances. Reid’s success in Kansas City, particularly his role in drafting and developing superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, underscores the magnitude of Philadelphia’s mistake.
When asked which was the bigger error—Barkley’s exit from the Giants or Reid’s from the Eagles—McNabb didn’t hesitate. “To be honest with you, I’ll say the Eagles losing Andy,” he said. “With Saquon, it’s new, it’s fresh. But I go back years ago with the success that I had with Andy, and I’d say, after I left, things were a little up and down. It wasn’t as consistent as it was, and he was to blame for it. And you look at what Andy has done now and what possibly he could have done if he was still in Philadelphia. I’d think that Andy would rank first in that decision that they made.”
Despite Reid’s departure, the Eagles found redemption this year, defeating his Chiefs in the Super Bowl, with Barkley playing a pivotal role in securing the championship. The victory avenged Philadelphia’s 2023 Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, offering a bittersweet moment for Eagles fans. McNabb, reflecting on the Giants’ loss of Barkley, offered a tongue-in-cheek farewell: “That’s why we just say, ‘Hey, we appreciate you. And good luck to you guys going forward.’”
While Barkley’s departure from New York stung Giants fans, McNabb’s perspective highlights a deeper wound for Philadelphia. Reid’s exit, coupled with the earlier trade of McNabb, disrupted the Eagles’ trajectory in ways that still resonate. As Reid continues to cement his legacy in Kansas City, the Eagles’ decision to let him go remains, in McNabb’s eyes, the franchise’s most costly mistake.