The Minnesota Vikings are prime candidates to trade for a running back, not just because Jordan Mason is injured and Aaron Jones Sr. is aging and shouldering a significant workload already — but because both will be free agents next offseason and neither profiles as a longterm solution for an offense with major longterm questions at quarterback.
Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports took the Philadelphia Eagles‘ decision to make a significant trade with the Baltimore Ravens this week as a sign that Philly, which just lost Hall of Fame offensive lineman Lane Johnson to an unexpected retirement, may be positioning itself more for coming drafts than a playoff run in 2026.
As such, Forness projected that the Eagles and their struggling offense might be willing to punt on running back Saquon Barkley ahead of a mini-rebuild to obtain value for a player that Philadelphia can’t maximize over the life of his $41.2 million extension, which runs through 2028.
“Now that he’s in Minnesota, [GM Nolan] Teasley has already talked about making trades,” Forness wrote on Wednesday, October 7. “With news that the Eagles traded Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens … it appears obvious that they are loading up on draft capital to add a quarterback in the 2028 NFL draft. The question now becomes whether the Vikings could make a massive swing for running back Saquon Barkley.”
Saquon Barkley Remains Elite-Level Running Back in NFL
Barkley has been banged up this season, leaving in the first quarter of two of the Eagles’ first four games with injuries. He is currently dealing with a right hamstring strain, and the team considers him week-to-week.
And while Barkley may miss a game or two moving forward, he is still in his age-29 season and has remained highly productive and reliable since tearing his ACL in 2020.
Barkley is a three-time Pro Bowler and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2024 when he led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards and added 13 TDs on the ground. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year also tallied 33 catches for 278 yards and two scores through the air that season. The Eagles went on to capture the Super Bowl during those playoffs.
Vikings Have Draft Assets to Make Trade for Saquon Barkley, Still Improve in 2027, 2028
Forness expounded upon his hypothetical trade proposal, noting the benefits for the Vikings this year as well as in the two seasons to come (the length of Barkley’s current contract).
“Running backs carry real value in today’s game, and the Eagles seem to be loading up on draft picks, with four selections in the top 64 of the 2028 NFL draft,” Forness continued. “Plus, Minnesota has the ammunition to make a bold move without gutting the roster.
“Adding Barkley would signal the Vikings going all in on a Super Bowl run this season, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea,” he added. “Minnesota is 4-0, but the offense needs a little juice to generate explosive plays.”
The Vikings own all of their draft picks in 2028, while they also hold multiple selections in rounds three, five and six in next year’s draft. Minnesota’s second third-round pick in 2027 belonged to the Eagles and came over as part of the deal to ship outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to Philadelphia in April.
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