DeVonta Smith thinks Nick Sirianni actually listens when Eagles fans yell, ‘Run the ball!’

It certainly seemed to work this season, thanks in large part to Saquon Barkley.

Fans react after Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith scored a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 29.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

Published March 20, 2025, 1:42 p.m. ET

Nick Sirianni does actually listen to what you all say from the stands, or at least DeVonta Smith thinks he does.

The Lincoln Financial Field crowds are rowdy, and Eagles fans will let the team hear it during good times and bad. Whatever it is you’re saying, the players and coaches can hear it, Smith confirmed on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast with Carmelo Anthony.

“The Philly fans, when things ain’t going right in the passing game, everybody starts chanting, ‘Run the ball!” Smith joked. “They want you to run the ball before you even think about passing. Passing the ball is not an option at this point. They’re like, you need to run the ball. The fans, they’ll be real-life chanting like, ‘Run the ball! Run the ball!’

“Nick, he’s over there like, ‘I hear you, I’m going to run the damn ball.’ He’s arguing with the fans, and we’re just sitting there like, well, when they start doing that, he listens to them and he runs the ball, and the run game is working, so we’re like, ‘Yeah, we know what type of day it’s going to be.’”

Smith shared how receivers are often the “last resort” for the offense, and so many other things need to go right during a play in order for them to get the ball.

A.J. Brown reads Inner Excellence — which Smith confirmed Brown had on the sideline during every game, and not just the one time he was caught on screen — to keep his mind sharp, while Smith listens to gospel music at halftime to lock in.

But when you’re working with a running back as good as Saquon Barkley, who can argue with the results? Certainly not Smith.

“When [Barkley’s] growling, he’s in that mode,” Smith said. “When he goes to growling, he’s a whole different animal. … So then when he ain’t want to get the record, I was like, ‘You did all that huffing and puffing to get here, now you don’t want to get the record?’ … To me, Saquon is the best there is.”