PHILADELPHIA – One thing the Eagles typically stress when discussing Saquon Barkley’s magical first 12 months with the organization is that the All-Pro running back is a better person and teammate than football play.
And the first-team All-Pro is pretty good at the latter, earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and breaking Terrell Davis’ quarter-century old, single-season rushing record (including the postseason) with a gaudy 2,504 yards en route to a Super Bowl LIX championship.
So perhaps it’s no surprise that Barkley hopes his recent good fortune of a two-year, $41 million extension is the rising tide that lifts all boats at the running back position.
Speaking to reporters Monday at the NovaCare Complex, Barkley said he hopes his deal “does what it’s supposed to do” when it comes to the RB market as a whole.
“Every other position, the value increases each year, so for the Bijons [Bijan Robinson] and the Gibbs [Jahmyr Gibbs], I know [James] Cook is up too. All those guys who are up and able to get paid, I hope they beat it,” Barkley said. “That’s kind of how I look at it. I’m one of those guys, I don’t care, ‘Oh, is this guy getting paid more than me or not?’ That’s what this sport is about, building the position up.
“All those young guys underneath me right now, when there’s a time hopefully they beat it and max it out even more in five and 10 years, it’s the same things for those running backs play in high school and college right now. That’s the goal is having it for every other position. It should happen for our position too.”
His new deal makes Barkley the highest paid running back in NFL history from both an average-annual-value standpoint and guaranteed money, besting Christian McCaffrey’s $19M AAV contract.
Barkley noted that a couple of running backs reached out when he received his new deal and Cook, Buffalo’s star back, was the most excited.
“A couple guys reached out. Cook was probably the most excited one because he has his stuff coming up,” Barkley smiled. “It’s pretty cool. I’m a big fan of the game itself, of the position I play and all those guys so having those guys reach out means a lot.”