Eagles' Saquon Barkley puts devaluation of running backs’ contracts on handful of franchises

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Saquon Barkley played such a key role in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season a narrative emerged about a resurgence of the running back position.

Barkley suggested in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated that talk of a resurgence implied not that talented running backs were lacking in recent years, but that teams had grown reluctant to hand out large contracts, causing compensation for elite rushers to dip.

The three-time Pro Bowler said he believed the dip stemmed from "three to four" high-profile running backs signing big deals and subsequently getting injured.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley during training camp at the NovaCare Complex July 24, 2025, in Philadelphia.  (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)

Barkley called the devaluation of running backs a narrative that was designed to keep salaries down.

"(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.

"Now, you have owners and GMs trying to find great players for cheaper value," Barkley said. "That’s what it all was. I got tagged. Josh Jacobs got tagged (by the Las Vegas Raiders).

"I’m not going to sit here and say there was colluding. I’m not going into all that. But football is football. If you cannot run the ball, you’re done."

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) hands off to Eagles running back