A move that looked like it could be pulled off only in a video game is officially in the game.
EA Sports has added Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley's iconic hurdle to Madden 25 in its latest update.
The Eagles running back pulled off the filthy feat during Philadelphia's 28-23 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 3. In the second quarter, Barkley caught a pass, executed a spin, then launched himself in the air to avoid Jaguars defensive back Jarrian Jones for an easy candidate for highlight of the year.
EA has dubbed the move the "spin hurdle" and announced the addition Wednesday.
"What really happened was, I was going to hit a double spin," Barkley told Whistle Sports about the breathtaking highlight. "When I spun, I went to spin again, and I just ... it's probably going to take away from how cool the play is ... I thought he was going low, so I thought it would be cool if I could jump up ... my body kind of took over."
Gameplay designer Isaac "Spade" Etheridge said in a game update announcement that it was one of the most "creatively extraterrestrial moves he's ever seen."
"It's rare, this day and age, to see something that's never been done before. That's when we knew we wanted it in-game," Spade said.
The in-game move is unique to Barkley, and can be triggered only with proper timing of the hurdle button against a defender approaching from a 45-degree angle to the front of the ball carrier, the announcement said.
Madden NFL 25 was released in August 2024.
