Saquon Barkley has earned a new contract from the Eagles this offseason

Saquon Barkley would be well within his rights to ask the Eagles for a new contract this offseason. And on the heels of perhaps the greatest single-season a running back has ever had, Howie Roseman and company won't have much of a choice but to give him one.

There's a few things to consider here. 

Barkley signed a three-year/$37.5 million contract last offseason with the Eagles. Clearly, he's massively outperformed that deal. Additionally, the Eagles only really committed to two years with the likely Offensive Player of the Year, as his deal contained an out that would leave them with $16.6 million in dead cap money if they released him after the 2025 campaign. Certainly after this year, Barkley is going to want to make sure that the Eagles can't move on from him after next season, as unlikely as that may seem now. 

Beyond that, Barkley will likely feel pressure to move the ball forward for the running back position, which he, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs have helped to make in vogue again in 2024. 

One way to do that would be to increase the $12.583 average annual value in his current contract. That's third among running backs currently, and clearly Barkley should leapfrog the $14 million AAV that Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts has. Getting to the $19 million AAV of Christian McCaffrey, the top mark at the position, might be more difficult. But if anyone is in position to try to do so, it's Barkley. 

2024 was essentially a lost season for McCaffrey, but a year ago he was perhaps the best overall player in the NFL. He led the league with 1,459 rushing yards, and then added in 564 receiving yards, scoring 21 total touchdowns. He won the Offensive Player of the Year and helped the San Francisco 49ers to reach the Super Bowl. He was at the top of his game, and utilized that leverage to sign a new two-year/$38 million extension with $24 million fully guaranteed. The 49ers can still get out of the deal after 2025, but he got himself an extra $8 million per season and more guaranteed money. 

Greatest free agent signing in Philly sports history ✅

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— On Pattison (@OnPattison) January 26, 2025

Barkley may not be quite the pass catcher that McCaffrey is, but he's still very capable when used in that capacity. And by virtue of rushing for a franchise-record 2,005 yards during the regular season, he's emerged as the clear straw that stirs the drink for the Eagles, even in an offense that includes A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Hurts and Dallas Goedert. 

At a minimum, one would think Barkley will be able to get a pay raise in both 2025 and 2026, while making 2026 essentially a guaranteed year. 

Is there a level of risk in paying a running back heading into his eighth season? For sure. A year after McCaffrey looked like the best player in the NFL, it's fair to wonder how much the 28-year-old has left physically. Barkley will turn 28 on Super Bowl Sunday. Running back is a brutal position, and it's a miracle that when Barkley suits up for Super Bowl LIX, he'll have played in 20 games this season. And it would have been 21 if the Eagles had needed him in Week 18. Don't count on that same level of health moving forward. 

But in a year with the team, Barkley has made himself one of the most beloved players in the history of Philadelphia sports, and that's really not hyperbole. Fans will often side with the team in negotiations with star players, but they won't in this case. Barkley has been so dominant this season that he'll have the Eagles over a barrel when he and his agent — Edward Berry of CAA Football — inevitably approach the team about a new contract this offseason.