Eagles Sign Saquon Barkley, Super Bowl Odds Immediately Improve
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Saquon Barkley is heading to a division rival.
The two-time Pro Bowler has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal. It includes $26 million in guaranteed money and incentives that could make the deal worth up to $46.75 million.
Former Giants RB Saquon Barkley reached agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75M and includes $26M fully guaranteed at signing, per sources.
Barkley now beats the franchise tag number and has a maximum… pic.twitter.com/d2TnEWhaQ0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
Barkley is now the second-highest-paid running back in the history of the NFL, according to average annual salary.
Eagles Super Bowl odds
The Eagles went from +2000 to +1700 to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings.
Barkley dealt with some injury issues throughout his six seasons with the New York Giants. However, he played in 30 games over the last two seasons.
Barkley played in 14 games in 2023, rushing for 962 yards and six touchdowns. He also added 280 yards through the air and four receiving touchdowns.
The Eagles were in the running back market after losing De'Andre Swift to the Chicago Bears.
The Giants attempted to re-sign Barkley and decided not to franchise tag him at $12.1 million. Barkley beat that number by signing with the Eagles.
The 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year said goodbye to Giants fans via social media.
Thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support over the past 6 years… forever grateful! Excited for the next chapter 💙✌🏾
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024
Barkley to Eagles Analysis
Brandon Anderson: They say running backs don't matter — but they matter more for some teams than others. Philadelphia is one of those teams, and that's why Eagles fans should be very excited about the addition of Saquon Barkley.
Barkley is an absolutely dynamic RB talent. This is a guy that was taken No. 2 overall in 2018 in a draft where eight of the 11 picks taken immediately after him have made the Pro Bowl. That's the sort of hype and talent Barkley had entering the league, one of only five RBs selected in the top 10 picks over the past decade. The other four names? Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, and Todd Gurley. These are superstar level talents at the position, whether you agree with the draft pick investment or not.
Barkley looked the part immediately as a rookie, compiling over 2,000 combined yards with 15 touchdowns and 91 receptions in a monster campaign. But his career has been plagued by injuries since. He missed almost all of the 2020 season and had poor campaigns in 2021 and 2023, with only one other great season (2022) since his rookie year.
Still, the talent when healthy is undeniable, the sort of package that maybe two or three other guys in the league can match. Now he returns home to Pennsylvania to a team that features the run game as much as any in the league, and whose run game took a major step back in 2023. D'Andre Swift got paid today too, but he wasn't good enough for Philly, and Jalen Hurts struggled to provide his usual run threat.
Still, Philadelphia has one of the best offensive lines in the league, even without Jason Kelce, and consistently sees its stable of backs put up great metrics and rip off chunks of yardage. Barkley gives the Eagles a home run threat on any carry, and he also gives them an elite weapon out of the backfield to add to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert — good luck covering all four of those guys at once.
Running backs can only add so much value, but Barkley has a chance to make a similar impact in Philadelphia that Christian McCaffrey has in San Francisco. He might be the final piece to an offense that could be nigh unstoppable if Hurts returns to form. I was high on the Eagles already with their coaching moves, and this is the sort of over-the-top move that could return the Eagles back to the Super Bowl.
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