One name that continues to pop up for the Philadelphia Eagles when it comes to the NFL trade market is the running back, Saquon Barkley.
With Barkley carrying a high tab on a team that simply doesn’t look competitive, many across the league seem to believe that the Eagles would benefit from sending their star rusher elsewhere at this stage of his career.
Listing out a handful of “not-so-crazy” trade ideas, Spotrac believes that moving Saquon Barkley to the Cincinnati Bengals could be a move that would be logical for both sides.
Explaining The Bengals’ Potential Interest
“The Eagles are currently operating within ‘year-from-hell’ confines, despite remaining largely competitive on the field for the first half of the season. This is not an organization known for “selling” in any capacity, but GM Howie Roseman has his hands on almost every trade, even if just to be an innocent bystander at times,” Spotrac’s Mike Ginnitti wrote.
“It seems plausible that RB-needy teams will reach out here in the coming days, and both Barkley & Colts’ RB Jonathan Taylor will be coveted options. It should also be noted that the Bengals aren’t exactly known across the league as ‘buyers’, but an offseason move for Dexter Lawrence and a healthy, motivated Joe Burrow have us thinking crazy here.”
The Bengals have started the season with a 4-2 record in a shocking AFC North. Every team has a winning record, and the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are in front of the Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens.
The rushing game hasn’t been strong for Cincinnati. Chase Brown is the leader of the backfield, and he has just 285 yards on the season; Samaje Perine is behind him with 126 yards.
The Bengals could benefit from adding a running back like Saquon Barkley, as their playoff hopes are alive and well. A recent trade proposal involving the Bengals suggests that the Eagles could net a future second-round and fifth-round pick for the running back. It’s worth thinking about amid a very down year, but it’s hard to imagine that Barkley’s value is as high as the Eagles hope.
The Big Problem
Teams aren’t going to be in the business of helping the Eagles out.
Saquon Barkley is dealing with injury concerns and a down year statistically. Every time he gets suited up to play, another setback hits him.
Are the Bengals–or anybody else, for that matter–truly going to give up valuable draft assets to take on Saquon Barkley’s big deal when his production is currently in the same range as Chase Brown?
It’s clear that Barkley is still a threat to defenses, even at less than 100%. He’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry, which is slightly under his average from the 2,005-yard season he turned in during the 2024 run.
But staying healthy hasn’t been easy. In Week 2, Barkley suffered a stinger, which limited him to four carries. Two games later, a hamstring injury took him off the field after two attempts. Barkley missed two games. When he returned in Week 7 against Dallas, Barkley took on seven carries, but battled hamstring and back issues throughout the night.
As the season plays out, Barkley’s chances of actually getting dealt continue to slip away.
