The Eagles are now entering a very important offseason as they look to defend their Super Bowl title. Their path to a Super Bowl was set in motion on day one of free agency last offseason, and it looks like they’re doing it once again.
After releasing Darius Slay and James Bradberry, Howie Roseman and the Eagles got right back to business and rewarded their top offensive weapon Saquon Barkley with a massive extension. It was reported that Saquon Barkley and the Eagles have agreed to terms on a two-year, $41.2 million extension. Philadelphia rewards their MVP finalist with a massive pay day and another historical feat.
According to Pat McAfee, the extension is for an average of $20.6 million per year, with $36 million guaranteed at signing and $15 million available in incentives.
This now makes Barkley the highest-paid running back in NFL history. It also makes him the first $20+ million per year running back in league history. To say he deserves it would be a massive understatement. Barkley finished last season with 2,005 yards on 345 attempts with 13 rushing touchdowns. He also recorded 278 receiving yards on 33 receptions with 2 receiving touchdowns.
Saquon Barkley showed up big for the Eagles during their Super Bowl run. You could see just how bad he wanted a shot at a Super Bowl title. He rushed for over 100 yards in three out of the four matchups while also breaking 200+ rushing yards against the Rams. He tallied 499 rushing yards during the playoffs, which ultimately put the Eagles in position to upset the Kansas City Chiefs.
His story is one for the ages. After being drafted second overall by the New York Giants and spending six years with that organization, Saquon was forced out of New York and shown the door in the most disrespectful of ways. Despite the fact that he rushed for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns during his tenure in the Meadowlands, Giants GM Joe Schoen was more than willing to move on from a “$12 million running back” in favor of keeping his $40 million quarterback who was released during the season.
It really is true what they say. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In this case, Saquon Barkley found greener grass in the same state where he excelled in college football. In his first year with the Eagles, Barkly set the world on fire. He broke the Eagles’ franchise record for most rushing yards in a season and came very close to the shattering the all-time season record that was set by Eric Dickerson in 1984. He also is the first Eagle in franchise history to win Offensive Player of the Year.
It’s safe to say that Barkley has now found his permanent home in Philadelphia and will go down as one of the all-time greats when it’s all said and done. But the bigger question is how many more titles can the Eagles win with Barkley in his prime?
