Saquon Barkley finally got his due.
Since arriving in the NFL back in 2018, Barkley has been among the most prolific running backs in the league. He's 10th in the league in rushing yards since making his debut despite taking part in just 74 games in that stretch, fewer than a great many of his contemporaries.
Barkley's successes hadn't brought a long-term, big-money contract, though. Such is the case for a great many running backs in today's NFL — players who are undervalued yet often imperative to their team's success.
For a while, it seemed like massive riches would spurn the 27-year-old swashbuckler. He finally received his just rewards on Monday, inking a three-year deal to become the Eagles' newest tailback.
Here's what you need to know as Barkley prepares to get familiar with a much different environment than the circus that is New York City.
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Saquon Barkley contract details
Barkley agreed to a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles, keeping him within the NFC East, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The contract could be worth up to $46.75 million.
With an average annual value (AAV) of roughly $12.58 and a maximum AAV value of $15.833 million, Barkley retains his spot as one of the sport's highest-paid runners. Barkley is slated to receive $26 million guaranteed as part of his new deal, one that is set to take him into his 2026 season
This year's free-agency carousel represents the first time Barkley has been allowed to hit the open market. It's at an especially precarious time for ball-carriers, even those of Barkley's quality. For comparison, he inked a four-year, $31.2 million deal with the Giants after being selected second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. After four glittering seasons with Big Blue, the two parties tried to reach an agreement during the 2024 season, one in which Barkley played on a $10.09 million franchise tag. However, talks halted after the two sides failed to come to a common target.
Barkley will be netting approximately $2 million more per year than he did in 2022, the final year of his rookie deal. He tied for eighth in the league in AAV in 2023.
| Rank | Player | Team | AAV |
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey | 49ers | $16.1 million |
| 2 | Saquon Barkley | Eagles | $15.833 million |
| 3 | Alvin Kamara | Saints | $15 million |
| 4 | Jonathan Taylor | Colts | $14 million |
| 5 | Nick Chubb | Browns | $12.2 million |
| 6 | Aaron Jones | Packers | $12 million |
| 7 | James Conner | Cardinals | $7 million |
| 8 | Miles Sanders | Panthers | $6.35 million |
| 9 | David Montgomery | Lions | $6 million |
| 10 | Joe Mixon | Bengals | $5.75 million |
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Saquon Barkley stats
| Year | G | Att. | Rush yds | YPC | Rec. | Rec. yds | Total TDs |
| 2018 | 16 | 261 | 1,307 | 5.0 | 91 | 721 | 15 |
| 2019 | 13 | 217 | 1,003 | 4.6 | 52 | 438 | 8 |
| 2020 | 2 | 19 | 34 | 1.8 | 6 | 60 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 162 | 593 | 3.7 | 41 | 263 | 4 |
| 2022 | 16 | 295 | 1,312 | 4.4 | 57 | 338 | 10 |
| 2023 | 14 | 247 | 962 | 3.9 | 41 | 280 | 10 |
| Career | 74 | 1,201 | 5,211 | 4.3 | 288 | 2,100 | 47 |
Saquon Barkley injury history
Barkley has accumulated his fair share of nicks and bruises so far in his professional career, taking the field for 74 of the 99 regular season matches that have occurred since Barkley made his big-league bow back in 2018.
After featuring in all 16 regular season contests as a starter, Barkley enjoyed his first bit of turbulence in 2019. He suffered a high ankle sprain which kept him out of the spotlight for three games. As such, his numbers trended downward ever so slightly, as he was unable to meet the 2,000-total yard plateau he had shattered during his rookie campaign.
His third year was the most challenging of Barkley's career, as he was forced to undergo surgery after shredding his ACL in the second game of the year. Barkley missed the remainder of the season as a result of his malady, casting doubt over whether he could return to his free-roaming best in the future.
Barkley returned to the fore in 2021, taking part in 13 games after recovering from ACL surgery. He wasn't all that productive, admittedly — Barkley averaged a meager 45.6 yards per game in his return, but he was back.
Then 2022 happened. Barkley burst through the mire of uncertainty like a cannon, accumulating some 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to nabbing Pro Bowl honors and a third-place finish in Comeback Player of the Year voting. Barkley played in 16 of 17 games that year.
By and large, the hulking runner has been able to stay on the field since. However, he did miss three weeks worth of action after sustaining another ankle sprain in 2023.
Saquon Barkley fantasy outlook 2024
Barkley joins one of the NFL's best rushing offenses from last season, and while Philly's No. 8 run ranking is a little inflated because of Jalen Hurts' scrambling ability, this is still a solid landing spot for the talented back. The Eagles generally don't utilize their backs in the passing game much, shown by D'Andre Swift's mediocre 39 receptions last year, but the mere fact Swift was able to top 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career tells you all you need to know about Barkley's potential.
The short TDs will likely be gobbled up by Hurts again, but even without Jason Kelce in the middle, the Eagles should provide Barkley plenty of room to run. Expect a top-10 RB season from the talented back...if he can stay healthy, of course. — Matt Lutovsky
