Speaking to reporters at a news conference after officially signing his two-year, $41 million contract extension—which made him the highest-paid running back in league history—with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, Saquon Barkley said he hopes his lucrative deal helps the league's other top halfbacks get paid.
"I hope it does what it's supposed to do," Barkley said when asked what his contract will do for his position group. "Every other position, the value increases each year. So, for the Bijan's [Robinson] and [Jahmyr] the Gibbs' ... I know [James] Cook, Cook is up too ... All those guys who are able to get paid, I hope they beat it."
Barkley added that he's never looked at pushing for the biggest positional contract as a personal achievement, but as one that benefits the positional group as a whole.
"I'm not one of those guys ... Like, I don't care, 'Is this guy going to be paid more than me?' That's not what this sport is about. It's putting the position up, and all those guys who are underneath me right now, when there's a time, they beat it and max it out even more."
"And in five and 10 years, all those guys who are playing in high school and college right now. That's the goal. It's happening for every other position. I think it should happen for our position, too."
Barkley, previously with the New York Giants, was among the halfbacks eligible for lucrative contract extensions just two offseasons ago, only to watch as teams opted to forgo an extension in favor of the more team-friendly franchise tag.
Such decisions sparked an outrage among the league's top running backs, who felt slighted by the market, which had favored quarterbacks and wide receivers in light of the league's shift to more pass-heavy offenses.
According to Over The Cap, the highest-paid quarterback in terms of average annual salary, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, earns $60 million per year. The top receiver? That would be the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson, who earns $35 million per year on average.
But Barkley, after signing a three-year, $38 million contract with the Eagles this past offseason, flirted with the NFL's single-season rushing record in '25, as he led the league in rushing yards and helped power Philadelphia to the franchise's second Super Bowl victory.
He also broke new contract ground for running backs. Before Barkley, San Francisco 49ers halfback Christian McCaffrey, earning $19 million per year as of June of '24, was the highest-paid at the position. Now, Barkley will become the first running back in league history to earn $20 million per year on average.
And he hopes there are more to come.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saquon Barkley Hopes His Lucrative Contract Extension Helps Other Top RBs Get Paid.
