When the Philadelphia Eagles made the shocking decision to reward running back Saquon Barkley with a 2-year, $41.2 million contract extension just one year after they signed him to a 3-year, $37.75 million free agent contract, they not only made NFL history but they may have reset the entire market for running backs for years to come.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put Barkely’s new contract, which made him the first $20 million per year running back in NFL history, so far ahead of any other contract at his position that it won’t likely be matched until the 2027 or 2028 free agency cycles.
“Based on average annual salary and guaranteed money, Barkley’s contract tops the running back market, and that probably won’t change any time soon,” Moton wrote on July 22. “He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, the 2024 rushing champion and won the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year and 2024 Offensive Player of the Year awards. At 28, Barkley’s salary will pace the running back market, possibly until the Atlanta Falcons give Pro Bowler Bijan Robinson a new deal or the Detroit Lions sign two-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs to an extension in the next two years.”
How Barkley, Eagles Managed to Reset RB Market
The simple answer to how Barkley managed to swing such a primo deal is he balled out of his ever loving mind.
In 2024, Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. He would have had an excellent chance to break former Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards but chose to sit out the meaningless regular season finale against the New York Giants.
“Eagles are rewarding Saquon Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Shefter wrote on his official X account on March 4. “The deal makes Barkley the NFL’s first $20 million+ per-year running back. Barkley also has the ability to earn an additional $15 million in incentives and escalators. The deal includes $36 million fully guaranteed at signing. The Eagles are taking the rare step of extending Barkley one year into his three-year deal — and in the same league year in which they signed him to the initial contract.”
Playoff Run Showed Barkley’s Greatness
In 4 playoff games following the 2024 season, Barkley was almost unstoppable in the first 3. He garnered so much attention in a 40-22 Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs it opened up the offense for teammates like Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
In 4 postseason games, Barkley had 499 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns while he averaged 5.5 yards per carry — in consecutive playoff wins over the Rams and Washington Commanders he averaged 7.9 yards per carry.
Even More Impressive: Slow Start in 2024
Barkley’s 2,000-plus rushing yards in 2024 is even more impressive when you consider he got off to a slow start. In 16 regular season games, Barkley was only held under 100 rushing yards 5 times, with 3 of those in the first 5 games of the season.
While the Eagles may have retooled their defense in 2025 by getting rid of a lot of veteran talent, their offense returns 10 out of 11 starters, including 4 members of the NFL’s best offensive line.
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