The Minnesota Vikings are officially the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team after the Chiefs lost in Seattle on Sunday night. However, that doesn’t mean everything has gone well for Minnesota through the first month-and-a-half of the season.
Specifically, they’ve struggled mightily to move the ball on offense. Their 281.7 yards per game ranks 29th in the league, and they haven’t established any consistency on that side of the ball.
With Minnesota boasting a pristine 6-0 record, many believe they might capitalize by landing a key offensive playmaker before the November 10 trade deadline. BleacherReport‘s Alex Kay thinks they might be in the market for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
“One way to jump-start a unit that has been averaging a pitiful 281.7 yards per game (the fourth-fewest in football) is to acquire a game-changing running back. Saquon Barkley could be available for the right price after the Eagles dropped their fifth consecutive game on Monday night,” Kay wrote. “Barkley may not be the same player that rushed for over 2,000 yards and carried Philadelphia to a Lombardi Trophy two years ago, but he’s still a highly effective, versatile lead back who would add a new dimension to an offense that has grown stagnant.”
He later said, “Adding Barkley is the type of forward-thinking maneuver championship hopefuls make at the deadline. By the time he’s up to speed and fully integrated into head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, he’ll be ready to supercharge Minnesota’s offense and shoulder a heavy load throughout a potential deep playoff run.”
The Eagles Are Probable Sellers Ahead Of The Trade Deadline
The Eagles’ most recent win came in a (surprisingly close, at the time, anyway) 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans back in Week 2. They’ve since lost five in a row, and their opponents have had an average winning margin of 10.8 points in that span.
They haven’t even been competitive and are playing like easily one of the worst teams in the league right now. With quarterback Jalen Hurts out for the season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (another debacle that earned them much criticism), there really is no light at the end of the tunnel this season.
They already began selling by shipping center Cam Jurgens out of town earlier this month, and there’s reason to believe that was only the start of the fire sale. If they lose to the 1-4-1 Washington Commanders on Sunday night, that could be the final nail in their 2026 coffin.
Saquon Barkley Is Still Playing At An Incredibly High Level; He’d Provide A Big Boost To Vikings’ Offense
While the Eagles are in the midst of a season to forget, Barkley has enjoyed his normal level of efficiency when healthy enough to tote the rock. Injuries have taken their toll, limiting him to five games (and holding him under five attempts in two others), but he’s still averaged 5.7 yards per attempt.
Minnesota’s schedule will get much harder over the next month than it was the first seven weeks of the season. They’ll have to run a gauntlet against the Lions, Bills, Packers, and 49ers over their next four weeks, and they’ll be tested on both sides of the ball.
Barkley would be a huge addition to both the Vikings’ rushing and passing attack. He’s near the RB cliff at age 29, but has shown very few signs of decline. The future Hall of Famer, who is under contract through 2028, should have plenty of gas left in the tank.
If the Vikings wanted to capitalize on a franchise rapidly devolving into disarray, then shipping a pair of day-two picks (or a third- and sixth-rounder, according to BleacherReport’s pitch) to Philadelphia for their star running back would make a ton of sense.
Vikings Predicted To Take A Massive Swing On Future Hall of Famer