Saquon Barkley almost signed with AFC contender before ending up in Philadelphia

Saquon Barkley was the best running back on the open market this offseason, so it’s no surprise he had multiple teams vying for his services.

When speaking with Jason and Travis Kelce on an episode of the “New Heights” podcast this week, Barkley revealed that he originally wanted to sign with the Houston Texans.

Saquon Barkley on talking with Houston

“I’m going to be honest, that’s what this show is for,” Barkley said. “Probably the team that had my first interest was Houston. I got to communicate with C.J. and a couple of those boys, but this was before when you could actually put offers on the table and talk to teams.”

BetMGM Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $150 Instantly

• Sign up for a new BetMGM Sportsbook Account
• Make Your First Deposit
• Bet $5+ On Any Sport
• Receive $150 In Bonus Bets Instantly

Claim your free $150 now >>

Right around when free agency was about to begin, it was reported that Houston would have serious interest in Saquon Barkley once the free agency frenzy actually began. However, Houston never actually offered Barkley a contract. And just a few hours into the legal tampering period, he announced his signing with Philly.

“I probably never imagined myself playing for Philly, you know, six years ago,” Saquon Barkley continued. “But it was like ‘I get to come back to Pennsylvania, my family is from Pennsylvania, my lady, our kids, grandmas, all that is from Pennsylvania,’ and we’re already close and we can even get to get closer.”

Although Houston would have made a lot of sense for Saquon Barkley, the Eagles made more sense in the end. He grew up here, attending Whitehall High School, and then becoming a star at Penn State. He may have not seen the vision when he entered the NFL, but becoming a Philadelphia Eagle may have just been inevitable.