Saquon Barkley had just wrapped up his rookie season with the New York Giants and was not focused on the Philadelphia Eagles’ inaugural Super Bowl victory parade in February 2019. Fast forward seven years, and Barkley played a pivotal role in the Eagles’ triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl during his first year with the team. He is now one of the players that fans in Philadelphia are eager to see at Friday’s parade.
The parade is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET at the Sports Complex and will conclude with a ceremony at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, anticipated to be even larger than the 2019 event, where Jason Kelce entertained the crowd in a Mummers costume.
Barkley got a glimpse of the excitement to come when he appeared at Raising Cane’s in Trevose, Pennsylvania, alongside the restaurant’s founder, Todd Graves. Eagles fans began lining up as early as 5 a.m. to express their gratitude to Barkley for bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to the city. Speaking to reporters, Barkley admitted he was unsure what to expect as he navigates through Philadelphia, but he anticipates a memorable celebration. “Philly fans have been amazing all year round,” Barkley stated, having been named AP Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,000 yards in 2024. “The love and support they have for this team is incredible. This city truly embraces this team, and you could see it in the turnout.”
Barkley expressed his excitement for the festivities, saying, “I’m expecting it to be a blast — a party — and I’m thrilled to be here with Raising Cane’s and Todd, who’s a really good friend of mine. It’s been a wild week for me, but I’m just soaking it all in and enjoying it.”
While Barkley won’t be delivering a speech on the museum steps akin to Kelce’s, he has thoughts on who should take the spotlight. “It won’t be me, I can guarantee that,” he joked. “That’s not my thing. If I had to choose, I’d say Lane Johnson or Brandon Graham. They’re the two longest-tenured Eagles right now, so it would be fitting for one of them to do it, especially if it’s BG’s last game and last year with us. For him to go out with a bang would be pretty cool.
