Eagles' Saquon Barkley makes bold claim about Nick Sirianni

Nick Sirianni has been one of the most successful coaches in the NFL over the past half-decade. Sirianni has led the Philadelphia Eagles to five straight postseason appearances, two Super Bowl berths and a win in the Big Game.

Despite his success though, he doesn’t always get the respect on a national – or even local – level that he probably deserves, and Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley is tired of it.

Saquon Barkley says Nick Sirianni is the best coach in the NFL 

Heading into Philadelphia’s Week 17 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, Barkley stuck up for Sirianni and made a bold claim regarding his coach.  

"I don't know why he doesn't get the respect he should get,” Barley said. “You really don't hear about him. I'll say, he's the best coach in the NFL. You can't name a better coach over the last five years. Who's been a better coach over the last five years than Nick Sirianni?

“He's the perfect coach for Philadelphia," Barkley added of Sirianni, "Like, what he's standing for and how he operates." 

Barkley did a complete 180 regarding his current coach, as he also admitted that he didn’t like Sirianni prior to joining the Eagles.

“I wasn’t a fan of him,” Barkley said. “Now being here and seeing how obsessed he is, ‘Hard Knocks’ and behind the scenes that we have, that you guys are able to see with him coaching, it doesn't really do it enough justice. He’s so obsessed with the little things, and there’s a reason why this team has been super successful.

“It’s been pretty cool to be able to go from, going against him and not being a fan of him and seeing what he’s all about. I think he does a really good job.

Sirianni does have a pretty brash personality, and that can rub people the wrong way. However, it's impossible to argue against the results, as he's won at a rate few coaches ever have in NFL history. 

Obviously having good players helps a coach, and the Eagles have plenty of good players. But as a team, Barkley thinks their success comes from the top down from the standard set by Sirianni. 

"I mean, he would say himself, what makes a great coach is having great players," Barkley said. "Obviously, the Philadelphia Eagles have been a great team since I've been in the league, going against him and now playing with him. But there's something to the standard that he sets." 

Barkley won a Super Bowl during his first season playing for Sirianni, so it’s easy to understand why he’s so fond of his coach. But there’s also something about the way that Sirianni relates to his players that they seem to appreciate, as numerous players have come out in support of Sirianni over the years. Though criticized originally, Sirianni has proven to be a great hire by the Eagles organization.