A look at Saquon Barkley contract incentives with Eagles and how close star RB is to cashing in on big season

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley already has more rushing yards than he did in four individual seasons with the New York Giants, and is getting real close to a career high in that category. And we still have seven weeks of football to play.

In 14 games last season with the Giants, Barkley had 962 rushing yards. Through 10 games this year, he has a league-best 1,137 yards on league-high 197 carries. Barkley’s career high came in 2022 with 1,312 yards, and if the RB continues his trajectory of 113.7 yards per game (a league high), he’ll add another 795.9 rushing yards on the season, putting him at 2,107.9 yards.

Signing the three-year, $37.8 million contract and moving from one AFC East team to another is working for both sides so far, and Barkley could cash out even more with his incentives. He is set to earn $13.5 million in 2024 through his signing bonus, base salary and workout bonus and could earn $3 million more in individual and team incentives. 

Incentives

Barkley is just 153 yards shy of earning an extra $250,000 for hitting 1,500 rushing yards. If he hits 2,000 yards, which he could hit if he continues his trajectory, he will earn an additional $250,000, putting this year’s bonuses at $500,000.

A second-team All-Pro selection or Pro Bowl selection will earn him $250,000 and a first-team All-Pro selection adds $500,000. If he reaches 2,000 yards, $500,000 will be added to his 2025 base salary (totaling an extra $1 million) and if he is selected to All-Pro or the Pro Bowl, that amount will be added to next year’s base salary.

His team incentives rely on the Eagles winning the NFC Championship game, which would add $250,000, or the Super Bowl, which would add an additional $250,000, putting his grand total at $500,000. If the Eagles make a deep playoff run and Barkley gets the team incentives, that money would also be added to next year’s salary.

The Eagles lost in the wild card round last season and their last NFC Championship win was the year before, in 2022. Their last Super Bowl win came in 2017.

Barkley doesn’t have any incentives based on touchdowns, which is in Barkley’s favor. Barkley has eight rushing touchdowns, and the  team using the “tush push” at the goal line explains why those numbers appear deflated compared to his others. Barkley has been tackled at the 1 or 2-yard line 11 times this season, the most in the league. On many of the following plays, quarterback Jalen Hurts crossed the goal line for the score.