Saquon Barkley free agency contract: Where does Eagles star’s $37,000,000 deal rank among NFL’s highest-paid RBs?

One year after settling for a limited, one-year deal, Saquon Barkley has cashed in. He finally left New York and inked a long-term deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed him for three years and an astonishing $37.75 million. After the market on backs was on the floor last offseason, this is a huge deal.

Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the deal, saying:

"Former Giants RB Saquon Barkley reached agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75M and includes $26M fully guaranteed at signing, per sources. Barkley now beats the franchise tag number and has a maximum average-per-year salary of $15.833M, which would be second highest for a RB in NFL History."

It's a nearly unprecedented deal for the former number two overall pick. Just last year, he held out for a one-year contract with the New York Giants, who opted not to even bother this year. Thus, he landed with their rivals on a massive contract.

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Breaking down Saquon Barkley's contract with the Eagles

Saquon Barkley will head to Philadelphia for the next three years for $37.75 million, making about $15.833 million per season with the total value of the contract potentially reaching $46.75 million.

Saquon Barkley got paid

It's a huge deal. How big? It ranks the second-highest for a running back in NFL history. The Eagles clearly believe Barkley is supremely talented since most teams try not to value running backs too highly these days.

In terms of total value, the base $37.75 million would be fifth in the league just behind Jonathan Taylor. The $46.75 million it could reach would be fourth, just below Aaron Jones.

His AAV of $15.833 million ranks just behind Christian McCaffrey and just ahead of Alvin Kamara, so Barkley is being paid like running back royalty.

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Exploring Saquon Barkley's stats over the past two years

It hasn't been the most awe-inspiring two seasons for Saquon Barkley. Where Christian McCaffrey was putting up jaw-dropping numbers when he signed his massive deal, Barkley has struggled behind a porous offensive line and with bad overall surrounding talent.

His talent was never in doubt, even if the numbers don't prop him up. In 2023, he rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns. Disappointingly, he only registered 3.9 yards per carry. He added four touchdowns and 280 yards through the air.

In 2022, he was much better. He ran for 1,312 yards (at 4.4 yards per clip) and scored 10 touchdowns. He also added 338 yards through the air, though he did play two more games in 2022 than in 2023.