You’ve seen the clip. It was November 3, 2024. The Philadelphia Eagles were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field, and for a few seconds, physics just... stopped working. Saquon Barkley, a 233-pound man who shouldn't be able to float, caught a pass from Jalen Hurts, dodged one guy, spun around another, and then did the unthinkable. He jumped. Backwards. Over a professional athlete.
Specifically, Saquon Barkley jumps over Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones while facing the opposite direction. It wasn't just a hurdle; it was a "no-look" leap that left the entire NFL community—and honestly, Barkley himself—wondering how it even happened.
The "How" Behind the Most Viral Play of 2024
Most people think Saquon planned that move. They think he saw Jones coming and calculated the trajectory like a mathematician. He didn't.
Barkley later admitted that the whole thing was pure instinct. He was actually trying to do a "double spin." He had already evaded Devin Lloyd with a nasty juke and was midway through a rotation when he realized he was about to get hit low. In his head, he thought, "I should probably just jump."
The result was a reverse hurdle that looked like something out of The Matrix. Jarrian Jones, the rookie who became an unwilling part of history, was actually standing up pretty tall. He wasn't even diving. Saquon just cleared him.
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What the Numbers Say
When you look at the raw data, the play gets even weirder. According to Next Gen Stats, Barkley was already moving with high momentum after the initial catch. At the 2018 Combine, Saquon recorded a 41-inch vertical. That’s elite for a basketball player, let alone a running back with "quads the size of tree trunks," as his teammates often joke.
During that 2024 season, Barkley was a statistical anomaly:
- He became only the 9th player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
- He accounted for roughly 34.8% of the Eagles' total offensive yardage.
- He eventually won the ESPY for Best Play in 2025 specifically for that hurdle.
Why This Wasn't Just "Another Hurdle"
Hurdling is common in the NFL. You see guys like Josh Allen or Breece Hall go airborne all the time. But those are forward leaps. You can see the target. You can time the take-off.
When Saquon Barkley jumps over someone backwards, he is effectively blind to the defender's exact height and timing. It requires a level of spatial awareness that most human beings simply don't possess.
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His teammate, Sydney Brown, put it best: "I've never in my life seen a man do that. I don't even know how you plan that in your head." Even the Jaguars' head coach at the time, Doug Pederson, had to give it up, calling it "a great play by a great running back."
The "Drug Test" Incident
Here is a funny detail people forget: the NFL is suspicious of greatness. Immediately after the game, Saquon was hit with a "random" drug test. He joked about it on social media, basically saying that even the league thought he was too athletic to be human.
But honestly, that season was a massive "I told you so" to the New York Giants. After they let him walk in free agency, Barkley went on to lead the league in rushing and helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX. That hurdle wasn't just a flashy highlight; it was the moment everyone realized Saquon was finally healthy and playing in a system that actually utilized his freakish gifts.
Don't Try This at Home (Seriously)
Even Travis Kelce weighed in on this. On his New Heights podcast, Kelce told listeners—and other NFL players—to absolutely not try the backward hurdle.
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Why? Because if you don't have Saquon's specific leg strength, you’re going to land on your neck. Or your knees. Or worse. Barkley lands with a level of balance that defies the weight he carries. If you look at the replay, he doesn't just clear Jones; he sticks the landing and keeps moving for extra yards.
What Actually Happened to Jarrian Jones?
Poor Jarrian Jones. He had a solid rookie year, but he’ll be in every "Saquon Barkley jumps over" highlight reel until the end of time.
Jones was remarkably cool about it, though. He told reporters, "He is touched by God. That was a hell of a play." He even challenged anyone who criticized him to show him what they would have done differently. He's right—there is no "technique" for tackling a guy who is currently six feet in the air with his back to you.
Practical Takeaways from Saquon's Style
If you're an athlete or a fan trying to understand how to emulate this (safely), it comes down to three things:
- Lower Body Power: Saquon's "Saquads" aren't just for show. His ability to generate force from a standstill is what allows him to jump without a traditional "run-up."
- Aborting the Plan: The most important part of that play was Barkley's ability to "abort" his double spin. Being locked into a move is how players get injured. Being fluid is how they create magic.
- Situational Awareness: Knowing where the sideline is and where your blockers are, even when you're spinning, is what separates the elite from the average.
If you want to relive the moment, go find the 4K slow-motion angle. It’s the only way to truly appreciate that he wasn't just "jumping"—he was flying.
For those looking to improve their own explosive power (though maybe keep your feet on the ground), focusing on plyometric box jumps and low-bar squats is the standard path to building that "Barkley-esque" foundation. Just don't expect to start leaping over people backwards on your first try.