Saquon Barkley Resets Running Back Salaries With Lucrative New Contract Extension

Saquon Barkley has done the improbable, and yes, it's more impressive than that backwards hurdle and winning the Super Bowl months after being discarded by his previous team.

Barkley just single-handedly raised the bar on what had been a depressed running back market by earning a huge contract extension from the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Barkley Sets New Heights For RBs

Barkley has agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $41.2 million that makes him the highest-paid player at his position. This deal includes $36 million fully guaranteed at signing.

Oh, and it breathes life into a running back market that had been on life support.

Barkley, who rushed for a league-leading 2,005 yards in 16 games last season, becomes the NFL's first $20 million per year running back. And his deal surpasses the $19 million per year mark Christian McCaffrey got in a 2024 extension.

This deal not only resets the market but actually jump starts the market because McCaffrey's deal was until now a one-off.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 26: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball to score a 60 yard touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The Eagles Reward Barkley Stunning Season

In the last two years, Jonathan Taylor, Josh Jacbos and even Derrick Henry, struggled to negotiate contracts that paid even as much as $14 million per season. Henry actually played on an $8 million per year deal in 2024.

But Barkley's stunning season has led to a stunning new deal that gives other players at his position hope.

Understand that last year, the New York Giants balked at the idea of paying Barkely $12 million per season. They let Barkley walk on a deal to the division rival Eagles that averaged $12.5 million.

Barkley Had Season For The Ages

But this extension is the reward for doing great things.

Those great things include helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl while making plays that left even teammates speechless. 

Yes, we're talking about that backward hurdle play that simply stunned the NFL for, well, it's still stunning.