NFL Forces Eagles RB Saquon Barkley to Give Up Major Off-Field Investment

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has spent the last few years putting some of his money to work away from football.

One of those investments turned out to violate NFL rules.

Barkley previously owned a stake in Polymarket, a prediction-market company that allows users to trade on the outcomes of future events. According to Front Office Sports, Barkley had to give up that investment because NFL players aren't allowed to own stakes in prediction-market companies.

Athletes taking ownership stakes in companies has become a bigger part of the business side of sports. Drake Maye and Dak Prescott recently became athlete-owners in Athletic Brewing Company, but there are limits to what NFL players can invest in.

“I am not in that right now,” Barkley told Front Office Sports. “I am not allowed to be in that.”

Why Barkley Had to Give Up His Polymarket Stake

Oct 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) walks off the field with an apparent injury against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NFL has taken a pretty firm stance on prediction markets. The league treats them much like sports betting for its players, even though companies such as Polymarket and Kalshi operate differently from traditional sportsbooks.

The league has told players, coaches and staff that trading on sports prediction markets is prohibited under its gambling policy. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy also told NBC Sports earlier this year that players aren't allowed to own a stake in one of the companies.

Barkley had already invested in Polymarket. He told Front Office Sports that the NFL goes over changes involving endorsements, investments and other business matters with players before the season. Once the league's position on prediction markets was made clear, Barkley said, “So I kinda had to get out of that.”

Barkley Has Been Busy Investing Away From Football

Polymarket was far from Barkley's only investment. He has built a portfolio that goes well beyond the money he makes playing football.

One of his more public moves came before Super Bowl LIX, when Barkley invested in financial technology company Ramp and appeared in the company's Super Bowl commercial. Barkley approached Ramp about becoming an investor rather than simply being paid to promote the company.

TechCrunch reported at the time that Barkley's investment in Ramp was his largest private technology investment to that point. He had already invested in several other companies, including fintech startup Sequin and beverage company X2 Performance.

His portfolio has continued to grow since then. Barkley has also invested in companies including Anthropic, Anduril, Neuralink, Cognition and Strike, along with putting money into funds and real estate.

Barkley has been pretty clear about wanting more than an endorsement check when he gets involved with a company. He has talked about wanting equity and having something invested in the businesses he works with. An NFL career can change quickly, and Barkley has found other ways to build wealth away from football.

The NFL Is Taking a Different Approach Than Other Leagues

Oct 25, 2026; Paris, FRA; The NFL logo on the field at Stade de France Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo became an investor in Kalshi earlier this year, something Barkley wouldn't be allowed to do under the NFL's rules. McCarthy made the league's position clear when NBC Sports asked about the possibility in February.

“NFL players may not own a stake,” McCarthy said.

The NBA has gone in another direction. The league recently named Polymarket and Kalshi preferred prediction-market partners, while the NFL has continued to keep the companies at a distance. The NFL has also raised concerns about how prediction markets are regulated and whether they offer the same protections that exist with legal sportsbooks.

There is no verified public figure for how much Barkley invested in Polymarket or what his stake was worth when he got out. The investment was one piece of a much larger portfolio Barkley has built outside of football, and losing it isn't likely to change the way he approaches business.

This time, though, Barkley didn't get out because an investment went bad. The NFL told him he couldn't keep it.

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