Saquon Barkley hopes new contract with Eagles paves the way for more running backs to ‘get paid’

Saquon Barkley was the straw that stirred the drink for the Philadelphia Eagles en route to their Super Bowl LIX title last season. Now, after inking a lucrative extension with the organization earlier this offseason, he’s hoping to be a catalyst for his fellow running backs to follow suit. 

Specifically, Barkley signed a two-year $41.2 million extension with the Eagles, making him the highest-paid running back of all time with an average annual value of $20.6 million. He’s the first running back ever to earn $20-plus million per season. Speaking earlier this week, Barkley noted that he aims this extension “does what it’s supposed to do” and moves the bar of the running back market even higher for his position-mates. 

“For (Bijan Robinson) and (Jahmyr Gibbs) — I know (James) Cook is up, too — all those guys up need to get paid, I hope they beat it,” he said Monday, via PHLY. “That’s how I look at it. I don’t care, ‘Is this guy going to be paid more than me?’ That’s not what this sport is about. It’s putting the position up, and all those guys who are underneath me right now, when there’s a time, they beat it and max it out even more. And in five and 10 years, all those guys who are playing in high school and college right now. That’s the goal. It’s happening for every other position. I think it should happen for our position, too.”

As Barkley noted, resetting the market for a given position not only helps the individual get paid but also creates another level of earning potential for players that have contract extensions on the horizon. For instance, Barkley noted that Cook “was the most excited” of the running backs he heard from upon signing his new deal. Rightfully so, the Buffalo Bills back is due for an extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal and just led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. While it remains to be seen if he’ll exceed what Barkley got from the Eagles, it certainly helped heighten his asking price. 

Barkley is coming off a sensational season with Philadelphia, who signed him as a free agent last offseason. On top of helping lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl title, he earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after totaling 2,005 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. That led to this extension, which should now push the market forward for all running backs from here on out.