After making history with his latest deal two offseasons ago, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley watched some of his fellow running backs across the league lock up massive contracts this summer.
While Barkley is a competitor and has his own situation to worry about, the star rusher is still happy to see others at the position getting paid the big bucks.
8-Year NFL Vet Saquon Barkley Doesn’t Hold Back On Massive RB Contracts
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 28: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles rushes for yards during the first quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
“I love it. That’s how it’s supposed to be,” Barkley said, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic
“Christian [McCaffrey] did it before me. I did it after Christian. And now we have three in a row. I look forward to the next guys to do it. It was like that for every other position besides running back. You can see that coming back to life. Those guys are very deserving of it. They’re helluva players, make a lot of impact in games for their teams. Their teams are different when they’re not on the field. Hopefully, in the next 5-10 years, it keeps going higher. That’s how it’s supposed to go.”
The Detroit Lions took care of Jahmyr Gibbs with a three-year, $67.5 million extension. Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Hawks landed a three-year, $66.7 million deal.
Then, the Indianapolis Colts took care of Jonathan Taylor with a two-year, $44 million extension.
In past seasons, the running back position was becoming undervalued. The Eagles proved in 2024 that was far from the case, as Barkley was an X-factor for the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. Howie Roseman and the front office sent a two-year, $41.2 million extension his way just one summer after signing him in the first place.
Saquon Barkley Is Set For Another Big Year
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 28: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles hands the ball to Saquon Barkley #26 during the third quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Barkley was so productive in 2024 that a 1,140-yard, seven-touchdown season was considered a disappointing year for the Eagles’ running back in 2025.
With the Eagles bringing on a new offensive coordinator who is focused on getting the most out of Barkley, the star running back was recently predicted to bounce back and look like his 2024 version. That level of play resulted in 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Barkley is clearly happy to see others get their deserved paydays, but he’s surely going to be on the hunt for another one of his own in 2026.