One Eagles Contract That Will Age Poorly in 2026: Why Saquon Barkley Has To Step Up

Barkley's extension was not really needed

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Saquon Barkley has the best individual season in Philadelphia Eagles history.

The only running back to ever rush for 2,500 yards in a season (including postseason), Barkley carried the Eagles offense en route to a Super Bowl. This all happened in the first year of a three-year contract with the Eagles where the franchise paid him handsomely ($12.58 million a year).

The Eagles have Barkley a good-faith payment after that historic, but they didn't have to. Barkley received a two-year, $41.2 million extension with $36 million guaranteed. The average was $20.6 million a year, tacking on an extra year to the initial contract and giving Barkley more money.

Fine, but Barkley was 28 years old at the time of the extension. There was no way he was going to live up to his historic year with the Eagles, especially in the first year of this extension.

Barkley rushed for 1,000 yards last season -- but it was a down year by his standards. He carried the football 280 times for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns, which was a good season but likely not a year where Barkley makes an average of $20.6 million a year.

Barkley had a success rate of 45.0% on his carries, 41st amongst NFL running backs last season. He was 24th in yards before contact per rush (1.36), and 38th in yards after contract per rush (2.71). This is out of 49 qualified rushers.

Those numbers aren't worthy of the salary Barkley is getting.

This is why Barkley's contract will age poorly if he doesn't live up to the standards of his contract.

Do the Eagles have an out?

There is a way the Eagles could get out of Barkley's deal after the season, whether injuries and/or performance affect his 2026 season. Barkley has $16,750,000 in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season, with a cap number of $9,881,100 (per Over the Cap).

That contract changes in 2027, as Barkley has just $2.5 million in guaranteed money and a cap number of $13,057,100. The Eagles will have to make a decision based on the June 1 provisions.

Philadelphia would actually save $5,066,100 by designating Barkley as a post-June 1 cut . The Eagles would eat $3,540,900 in cap space as a pre-June 1 cut.

In other words, this season could be Barkley's last with the Eagles if he has a season similar to 2025. Perhaps the Eagles are okay with those numbers from last season, but the expectation is for Barkley to have a bounce-back campaign.

Even at 29 years old, the talent is still there. Barkley isn't past his prime yet, even if he'll likely never replicate that 2024 season.

Why the contract matters

Even with the rising salary cap, there are players on the Eagles roster they are going to have to pay. Jalen Carter is the first one up, and he'll likely make over $35 million a year.

Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are one year away from being extension eligible, so is Jalyx Hunt. The Eagles hit on all these picks, so why not keep them all.

What if Tariq Woolen plays well this year? The Eagles have to bring him back right?

These are all defensive players too, as there are players on the offensive side of the ball that could be getting massive extensions.

The first is Jalen Hurts, who is under more pressure than Barkley to perform this year. Hurts' contract signals a decision being made by the Eagles after this season, just based on the guaranteed money left on the deal (like Barkley).

DeVonta Smith got an extension, but he could get a pay raise. A.J. Brown got one once, so why can't Smith?

There's a lot of factors at play here regarding the future of the Eagles roster. At the end of the day, the Eagles will have to decide if paying Barkley $20.6 million a year is worth it.

That's up to Barkley, who usually rises to the occasion.