Saquon Barkley isn’t holding back on how he feels about Dontayvion Wicks. Nine days into Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp, the running back went on “Up & Adams” and called the wide receiver the best kind of surprise: a trade the front office somehow pulled off.
“Tay is a steal,” Barkley told host Kay Adams. “I don’t want to put too much pressure. But this guy can handle it. I love everything he’s about. Shout out to [general manager] Howie [Roseman]. I don’t know how we got him.”
The comments, posted by Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) on X on August 6, 2026, came after a Training Camp practice at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Barkley kept going, breaking down exactly why Wicks has stood out early.
"[Dontayvion Wicks] is a steal… I don't know how we got him."
Saquon Barkley LOVES what he's seeing from the Eagles new WR 📈@Eagles | @saquon | @WicksDontayvion | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/JXUpy5dKHI
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 6, 2026
“He just brings a different type of energy for the wide receiver group,” Barkley said. “Not just because he’s a violent route runner and violent catching the ball. But he puts his face in there and blocks at a high level. So I’m excited about having him on this team this year.”
How the Eagles Landed Wicks
Philadelphia acquired Wicks from the Green Bay Packers in April, sending a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick the other way, according to NFL.com. The Eagles then signed him to a one-year, $12.5 million extension that runs through the 2027 season, a deal the team officially confirmed.
The move came at a pivotal moment for Philadelphia’s receiver room. The Eagles traded longtime No. 1 target A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in June, and Wicks became one of several new faces brought in to help fill the gap alongside first-round rookie Makai Lemon and veteran Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, as Yahoo Sports reported.
Wicks spent his first three NFL seasons buried in a crowded Green Bay receiver room that included Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden. He posted 39 catches for 581 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2023, then settled into a smaller role behind Romeo Doubs and Watson before a career-low 2025 campaign: 30 receptions, 332 yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference figures cited on Wikipedia. Over three seasons in Green Bay, Wicks totaled 108 catches for 1,328 yards and 11 touchdowns.
| Season | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 (Rookie) | 39 | 581 | 4 |
| 2024 | 39 | 415 | 5 |
| 2025 | 30 | 332 | 2 |
A New Offense Under Sean Mannion
Wicks is walking into a Philadelphia offense that looks different on paper this year. Head coach Nick Sirianni hired Sean Mannion, previously the Packers’ quarterbacks coach, as offensive coordinator back in January, per the Eagles’ official announcement. It’s Mannion’s first job as a play-caller at any level, and he’s tasked with reviving an offense that has cycled through a new coordinator every year since 2022.
At 6-foot-1, Wicks gives Philadelphia a bigger body to pair with Pro Bowler DeVonta Smith, and the early buzz around Mannion’s scheme has coincided with Barkley’s comments. Left tackle Jordan Mailata offered his own praise of the new coordinator back in June, telling ESPN that Mannion “knows ball.”
Barkley, for his part, is entering the season looking to bounce back toward his 2,000-yard 2024 form after a comparatively modest 1,140-yard 2025. His endorsement of Wicks fits a broader pattern from camp — Jalen Hurts also fielded questions about Wicks’ progress after a Wednesday practice this week, per the Eagles’ own press conference archive.
None of this is confirmed as a finished product yet. Training Camp praise is Training Camp praise, and Wicks still has to prove it translates once the pads come off and the games start counting. But for a receiver who never cracked 40 catches in Green Bay, arriving in Philadelphia to immediate co-sign from his starting running back is a notably strong first impression.
