Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles’ superstar running back, delivered a jaw-dropping performance last season, cementing his place as one of the NFL’s elite. His pivotal role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning campaign sparked widespread talk of a running back renaissance. However, in a candid interview with Sports Illustrated, Barkley dropped a bombshell: the so-called “devaluation” of running backs isn’t due to a lack of talent but rather a calculated move by a handful of teams to suppress salaries.
Barkley, a three-time Pro Bowler, pointed the finger at “four or five” high-profile running back contracts that went south due to injuries, creating a convenient narrative for teams to lowball elite rushers. “It wasn’t, like, a diss to just me,” Barkley told the outlet. “It’s something they were trying to make up, just so they can get players for cheaper value. And if you make that argument for running backs, you can do that for any position in the NFL.”
He didn’t mince words, suggesting that owners and general managers are deliberately hunting for great players at bargain prices. Barkley himself felt the sting of this strategy when he was franchise-tagged, as was Josh Jacobs by the Las Vegas Raiders. While he stopped short of accusing teams of collusion, his message was clear: the narrative around running backs is a carefully crafted excuse to keep salaries down. “Football is football,” he said. “If you cannot run the ball, you’re done.”
Barkley also called out the double standard in how aging players are treated across positions. Wide receivers routinely land massive contracts as they enter their 30s, yet their underperformance rarely draws the same scrutiny as running backs. “That (past prime) notion is so funny,” Barkley said. “It’s bunk, all the running-back-position-is-dying stuff. You got wide receivers who [teams] pay all this money to, and when they get into their 30s, they’re not performing at the highest level; you just never hear that.” He even took a swipe at the quarterback narrative, noting, “How many quarterbacks can you name who played into their later 30s? Everyone’s not Tom Brady.”
Last season, the 28-year-old Barkley silenced doubters with one of the most dominant rushing campaigns in NFL history. In just 16 games—sitting out Week 18 to rest for the playoffs—he racked up an astonishing 2,005 yards on 345 carries, scoring 13 touchdowns and averaging an explosive 5.8 yards per carry. He led the league in rushing yards, attempts, and yards per game, proving his worth as the heart of the Eagles’ offense.
His postseason performance was equally staggering. In four playoff games, Barkley powered through for 499 yards on 91 carries, scoring five touchdowns and leading all running backs in every major category. His blend of speed, power, and vision was a key factor in Philadelphia’s championship run.
As the Eagles gear up for their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, Barkley is poised to continue his reign as one of the NFL’s premier playmakers. With another Super Bowl ring in his sights, he’s not just running for yards—he’s running to rewrite the narrative around running backs and expose the truth behind the market’s manipulation. Barkley’s message is loud and clear: the running back position isn’t dying—it’s being deliberately undervalued, and he’s here to prove why that’s a mistake.