The running back market has been in a tough spot, with many backs feeling like they aren’t being valued the way they should.
Saquon Barkley didn’t think the New York Giants were paying him fairly, so he left for the Philadelphia Eagles. That turned out to be a big move for Barkley — he went on to have one of the best rushing seasons of all time and helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl.
Barkley’s new contract extension with the Eagles set a new bar for the position. NFL legend Barry Sanders recently gave Barkley credit for changing the running back market across the league.
Barry Sanders Praises Saquon Barkley
Barkley’s new deal was for two years and more than $41 million. No other running back has landed a contract like that, and it’s now setting the tone for how the position is paid. Sanders talked about how running backs have been undervalued and how Barkley helped change that.
“Oh yeah, they’ve been devalued,” Sanders said in a one-on-one interview with RG.
“Obviously Saquon is a perfect example of that mentality with what he went through in New York and just the conversation around running backs over the last handful of years.
“What Saquon did, I think he really restored a lot of faith in what the running back position can do. He’s a unique individual in that his skill set, the way he plays the game, the situation he’s in, the great team that he’s surrounded by — all those things matter and help with what he’s doing. But he’s certainly a generational type of talent.”
Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in that historic season. There’s no question he earned the new deal. But for Sanders, the biggest takeaway wasn’t Barkley’s personal numbers — it was what this means for other running backs looking to get paid.
Most backs won’t get a Barkley-sized deal unless they put up similar stats. Still, Barkley raised the value of the position. Sanders pointed out how this could impact players like Bijan Robinson, who will be up for a contract soon, and how it showed that running backs still matter.
“To see him [Barkley] be able to put that on display was amazing,” Sanders said. “He certainly changed the conversation about running back. You see how valuable someone like Josh Jacobs was to his team. You see the young fellow in Atlanta, Bijan Robinson.
“They were just outside the playoffs, but you see how valuable he is to his team. Aaron Jones, he was a contributor to the success that the Vikings had,” Sanders continued.
Sanders has made it a point to spotlight what running backs are doing across the league. Jacobs made a big impact with the Green Bay Packers, Robinson is one of the most dynamic backs in football, and Jones gave the Minnesota Vikings solid production at a position where they’ve struggled recently. These players matter and deserve fair pay.
“Those are some other names outside Saquon and outside of Derrick Henry. There are others who are valuable to their team. If you put the right things around them, they’re going to be successful. They’re going to help your team win,” said Sanders.
There are still plenty of impactful running backs beyond stars like Christian McCaffrey, Henry, and Barkley. Sanders knows what success at that position looks like, and he believes Barkley did a huge favor for the next wave of running backs.
Thanks to his monster season and contract, those players might be looking at a few extra million in their future deals.