Saquon Barkley is a leader on the field and in the locker room for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. He also hopes his contract leads to bigger paydays for younger players at his position.
After inking his two-year, $41 million extension, Barkley said he hopes the deal "does what it's supposed to do" and pushes the RB market forward.
"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 Zach Berman of 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."
The extension makes Barkley the only RB making $20 million in new-money average. He pushed past Christian McCaffrey's $19-million-per-year deal.
Notably, Barkley didn't mention any current free agents, as the class isn't expected to get anywhere close to the top of the market. Former first-round pick Najee Harris agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $9.25 million with the Chargers, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported on Monday. Veteran Aaron Jones signed a two-year deal worth $10 million per year to remain in Minnesota over the weekend.
The younger crew, like Robinson, Gibbs and Cook, have a better chance of getting close to Barkley's figure. Cook has suggested he's looking for $15 million per year. Barkley noted that Cook was "the most excited" of the RBs he heard from after inking his new deal.
Given their explosive ability, versatility in the run and passing game, and draft status, Robinson and Gibbs, two high first-round picks in 2023, might have the best shot to join Barkley as $20 million backs. However, with multiple years before that becomes a real question, the market will wind plenty. It took Barkley multiple franchise tags and a less-than free-agent deal in Philly before he shot over the $20 million mark.
The 2025 NFL Draft is expected to add more talent to the RB pool. Given the cost-controlled nature of rookie contracts, however, that will only work to slow the growth rate of running back contracts.
