Report: Eagles make Barkley highest-paid RB ever
Published
Saquon Barkley's record-breaking season has been rewarded by the Philadelphia Eagles.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Super Bowl champions have signed the running back to a two-year, $41.2 million extension that makes him the highest-paid back in NFL history.
The deal comes with $36 million in guarantees and the chance to earn $15 million more with escalators.
Barkley, 28, signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles as a free agent last March after spending the first six seasons of his career with NFC East rivals, the New York Giants.
The Penn State product was a juggernaut with the Eagles. In 16 games, Barkley rushed for a league-leading 2,005 yards on 345 carries with 13 touchdowns. The Bronx native headed into Week 18 needing only 101 yards to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record, but head coach Nick Sirianni rested all of his starters after the team had already cinched up the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Barkley finished his season with 2,283 yards from scrimmage, an Eagles record, to earn NFL Offensive Player of the Year honours and claim a First-Team All-Pro nod.
In the Eagles' run to a Super Bowl triumph, Barkley rushed for an additional 499 yards in four playoff games and 75 yards receiving to set the all-time rushing (2,504) and scrimmage yards (2,857) mark, eclipsing Hall of Famer Terrell Davis in 1999.
For his career, Barkley has rushed for 7,216 yards on 1,546 carries with 48 touchdowns.