How Derrick Henry's Big New Payday Compares To Saquon Barkley's: Age Matters

Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley were inarguably the NFL's two best running backs last season and this offseason both are harvesting the fruits of their labor with seismic contract extensions.

Henry on Wednesday agreed to a two-year extension with the Baltimore Ravens worth $30 million, a league source confirmed. ESPN was first to report the deal.

That comes a month after Barkley got an enormous raise from the Philadelphia Eagles when he signed a two-year extension worth $41.25 million.

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs off the field after win against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

And, yes, both these guys earned their new payday.

Barkley led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards last season. Henry, meanwhile, was second in rushing with 1,921 yards.

Again – the two most productive and best backs in the NFL in 2024.

But the reward each got for their work is obviously not too similar.

Barkley's extension reset the running back market for the entire NFL. He became the first running back ever to climb to the $20 million per season mark on an annual average basis.

Henry was the 13th highest-paid running back in the league until Wednesday. And his new money average of $15 million per season will vault him to the third-highest paid running back in the league on an annual average basis. Christian McCaffrey is second at $19 million. 

The Cincinnati Bengals take down Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry at Payor Stadium in NFL Week 5. (Cara Owsley/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

So there's a difference here.

The interesting thing is that the only other difference between these two players is