Saquon Barkley reveals almost joining $6,400,000,000 NFC team before signing with Eagles in free agency

Saquon Barkley has been revitalized at the Philadelphia Eagles, joining the 2,000-yard club, making his first All-Pro and reaching the Super Bowl. However, by his admission, it almost did not happen.

During the Super Bowl presser on Monday, the running back said that he was in talks to join the Chicago Bears, who were looking for a star rusher to pair with Caleb Williams and justify the excitement that matched their $6.4-billion valuation:

"Pretty damn close."

However, he joined the Eagles, which proved a wise decision, as their elite offensive line enabled him to break multiple records and achieve the aforementioned milestones.

The Bears, meanwhile, were forced to pivot toward Barkley's predecessor D'Andre Swift, who had the lowest rushing average of his career - 3.8 yards per carry this season.

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Saquon Barkley opens up on choosing Eagles, reaching Super Bowl LIX after struggles with Giants

Reaching a Super Bowl is a hard task, let alone winning it. And it is especially demanding when the opponents are the defending two-time champions seeking a hat trick - something that has never happened before in NFL history.

Still, it is a moment that Saquon Barkley savors, especially after he spent the beginning of his career mired in the New York Giants' mediocrity and then felt betrayed when the organization declined to extend him.

In that same presser, he recalled his free-agency decision:

"Me and my family literally had a sheet, we did pros and cons. The only con about Philly was I might get some slack cause I played in New York. So, it was a no-brainer for me. The talent that we have here, going against those guys, hearing stories about the organizations, and then most importantly, those big boys up front."

He continued:

"It means everything. That's life, though. You're going to have adversity. You're going to have up and downs, but it's who you are in those moments, and I never lost faith and I just kept my head down and kept working, and was able to get here and be able to surround myself with unbelievable individuals."

Kickoff for Super Bowl LIX is at 6:30 PM on Fox.