Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs during practice at the team’s NFL football training camp, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley has declined an invitation to join President Donald Trump’s council on sports, fitness, and nutrition, which is being revitalized under an executive order that also reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test for American children.

Barkley, the 2,000-yard rusher for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was on a list of sports personalities that included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque, football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera.

Barkley said Monday following Eagles’ practice that he had actually declined the invitation.

“A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council,” Barkley said. “So I’m not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. 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.”

Trump last week reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people’s health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises.

“This is a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration.

The executive order also reinvigorated the national sports council that could have included Barkley.

Barkley won AP Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles.

No Cook on duty yet

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane told The Associated Press that he isn’t sure how long the contract standoff with James Cook will last after the running back declined to participate in practice for a second straight day.

Cook wore a white hat, red Bills pullover and blue shorts upon briefly entering the practice field, before ducking into a portable bathroom. He then left the field, exiting through the trainer’s tent and did not re-appear during the two-hour session.

This marks the second day Cook has not participated in practice in the fourth-year player’s next step in escalating his bid to extend the final year of his contract.

More QBs in Cleveland

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are signing Tyler Huntley, a person close to the situation said Monday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced. The Browns will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday to take part in joint workouts with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday and a preseason game Friday night. However, the Browns are lacking healthy QBs at the moment.

Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are dealing with hamstring injuries while Shedeur Sanders sat out the Aug. 2 practice due to a sore arm. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the entire season.

Wounded Cowboy

OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith left practice early on Monday because of an apparent lower-body injury.

Smith, a 2023 first-round draft pick who has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons in the NFL, appeared to be favoring his right leg as he walked down the sideline midway through the workout. He was examined in the trainer’s tent for several minutes before leaving the field under his own power.

Smith is playing for his third different defensive coordinator in as many seasons as the former Michigan standout attempts to fully establish himself as a professional. He has played in 34 games with 20 starts, but the 6-foot-3, 315 pounder hasn’t been able to become the stout run stopper in the middle Dallas thought it was getting with the 26th overall selection.

He came into training camp as a starter, but he has recently been ceding reps working with the first unit to rookie seventh-round draft pick Jay Toia.

And the winner is …

SANTA CLARA, Calif — Jake Moody has won the San Francisco 49ers’ kicking competition.

The team released veteran Greg Joseph on Monday, leaving Moody as the only kicker. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the decision was due to roster constraints, with 18 players out of practice. Moody and Joseph had been competing, with Joseph making 22 field goals and Moody 21. Shanahan praised Moody’s talent and performance.

Moody is trying to bounce back from a rough second season in the NFL. He made changes to his approach this offseason. Shanahan said a change could be made if Moody struggles in games or practices.

No. 1 pick returns

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons first-round pick Jalon Walker has returned to practice after missing much of the first week of training camp with a minor hamstring injury.

Walker says he hopes to play in Friday night’s first preseason game against the Detroit Lions. The Falcons selected Walker from Georgia with the No. 15 overall pick in the draft. Walker won the 2024 Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and has the potential to play a hybrid role as a linebacker and edge rusher.

Believing in Fields

The Jets’ passing offense has struggled in the past few practices, with quarterback Justin Fields looking out of sync at times with his receivers.

It hasn’t all been on Fields, who dislocated a toe on his right foot early in camp. There have been drops, bad routes and mental errors. But it hasn’t been smooth lately for Fields, who was unofficially 4 of 16 in team drills Monday.

“I think he’s really improving, I really do,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn insisted. “I’m excited about that player. I’m excited about the things that he is going to be able to create for us. And every day, man, he’s just got to continue to keep chopping wood. And the type of person that he is, he’s going to continue to do that.”

Second-year cornerback Qwant’ez Stiggers echoed his coach’s sentiments — and took it a step further.

“He’s very athletic, he’s very fast,” Stiggers said, “and he’s going to take us to the playoffs.”

The Jets open the preseason Saturday night at Green Bay.