The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up an important defensive player. But like every other NFL team, a key free agent would help things for the 2025 season. Also, the Eagles’ historic contract for Saquon Barkley could impact free agent running backs, according to espn.com.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote that Barkley’s deal won’t dramatically change the trajectory.
“The 2025 free agents aren’t projected to continue the trajectory of the record-setting 2024 class,” Pryor wrote. “Instead, last year’s financial and on-field success were the product of a ‘confluence of events,’ according to one league source.”
The defending Super Bowl champions had to make tough decisions. Included in the mix, the Eagles gave Barkley a two-year, $41.2 million deal. That made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley breaks the bank
Questions remain about whether Barkley’s contract will lift the running back position overall in terms of salary. One of the reasons for this is a deep running back class for the 2025 NFL Draft.
“At the end of the day, your team has to fit whatever player it is, running back, receiver, whatever, within your structure and the confines,” Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. “And you do have to pay attention to the current market.”
Also, Barkley is an outlier. He’s arguably the most special running back in the game today. No other back can walk into a negotiating room with his swagger. However, Barkley’s number could pull players’ values upward.
“It’s going to give pause to folks who maybe haven’t invested in running backs to rethink that,” one AFC talent evaluator told ESPN. “But I’m not sure it’s going to move the needle so much that you see a real sea change across the entire position.”
“Good players are going to get paid well,” another league source said. “But I don’t think the trend is all of a sudden to pay running backs because of Saquon.”
Perhaps the leap in salary will be the apex. The top seven 2024 free agent running backs averaged $12 million in guaranteed money. That showed an increase from $7.1 million in 2023 and $4.8 million in 2022.
On the market for 2025 are guys like Aaron Jones and Najee Harris. They will likely see a bump in their payday, thanks in part to the Barkley deal. But not an astronomical one.
However, the market for running backs overall has improved, according to Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
“With the years some of the guys that signed last year had — especially when you have those unique guys that have a full skill set where they can run, catch and block, I think you’ll start to see those guys coming back up to where they should be in the market,” Veach said.
