Saquon Barkley’s ‘Trash’ Performance Has Fans Saying His Trump Photo Ops Kick-Started His Downfall
Saquon Barkley’s recent alignment and photo-ops with President Donald Trump and his family have football viewers wondering if the running back accidentally jinxed his 2025 NFL season.
Barkley, 28, and the Philadelphia Eagles squad suffered a tough loss to the division rival Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 23. They scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and another in the second to build a three-TD lead, but never scored again as Dallas stormed back for a 24–21 victory.
NFL fans were quick to point out that Barkley’s apparent production downgrade comes months after his friendly solo meeting with Trump, 79.
The two native New Yorkers golfed together at Trump’s Bedminster course in April, with Barkley later joining the former president aboard both Air Force One and Marine One. They were also photographed smiling over a meal at Trump National Golf Club.
Social media lit up with questions and complaints at the time. Barkley faced widespread outrage for linking up with the polarizing MAGA leader amid the Trump administration’s controversial DOGE cuts and nationwide immigration crackdowns.
“We ready to talk about Saquon?” a Threads user wondered on Sunday night. One individual directly blamed the president for Barkley’s on-field struggles by posting, “He golfed with Trump, so he’s getting what [he] deserved.”
A third person on the app suggested, “After he decided to tap dance for that orange fool, man’s ain’t been able to run straight.” Similarly, someone added, “Ever since he golfed with that orange bastard, he’s been [trash].”
Dallas mounted an impressive comeback against Philadelphia after falling behind to the defending Super Bowl champions. Another Eagles fan joked that Barkley “kissed the ring” a little too proudly, and now the team was paying for it.
“Been ready to talk about him. He went and kissed the ring and been cursed ever since,” one person expressed. However, several members of Eagles Nation faulted the team’s offensive line, including one post that read, “The O line sucks!”
Barkley falling off his game arrives just months after he landed the 2025 cover of “Madden NFL 26” in June.
The so-called Madden curse has been haunting the NFL since the late ’90s. After landing on the cover of “Madden NFL 2000,” Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders abruptly retired before the 1999 season even kicked off — and fans have been side-eyeing the curse ever since. Over the years, plenty of stars have fallen victim to it, either getting injured or delivering underwhelming seasons right after their cover moment.
Is Saquon suffering from the Madden cover curse? pic.twitter.com/BsjnptPuKn
— Saquon Center (@SaquonsCenter) October 24, 2025
Just last year, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey missed 13 games with multiple injuries following his spot on the “Madden NFL 25” cover.
In addition to the Eagles blowing a massive lead, Barkley had a mediocre performance on Sunday. The three-time Pro Bowl running back only had 75 total yards, with a lost fumble and no touchdowns. Barkley has managed to cross the 100-yard rushing milestone in just one game in 2025. He has slipped to 14th place in rushing yards this season after leading the league with over 2000 yards last season.
Back in April, Barkley downplayed his meet-up with Trump when he was in the middle of the far-reaching media storm that had some longtime supporters ready to jump off the Saquon bandwagon.
“Lol, some people are really upset cause I played [golf] and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,” Barkley tweeted on April 28.
The 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year continued, “Just golfed with [former Democratic president Barack Obama] not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump! Now ya get out [of] my mentions with all this politics and have [an] amazing day.”
Barkley was among the Eagles players who chose to visit Trump’s White House on April 28 to celebrate the franchise’s Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February.
Several of Barkley’s teammates, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, skipped the celebration on the South Lawn, citing scheduling conflicts for their absence. Trump still called Hurts, 27, a “terrific guy and a terrific player” during the event.
Trump again showed admiration for Barkley by supposedly naming him to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, but the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft stated his surprise that he was tied to the federal advisory committee.
“A couple [of] months ago, it was brought to my team about the council. So I’m not really too familiar with it,” Barkley said in August, per ESPN. “I felt like I am going to be super busy, so me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that.”
The former New York Giants star resumed, “I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I’m assuming it’s something great, so I appreciate it, but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.”
While Barkley remains an online target for disgruntled Philadelphia fans and exasperated Trump critics, the Eagles still hold the top spot in the NFC East with an 8-3 record. They sit behind the Los Angeles Rams (9-2) with the second-best record in the NFC.
