Eagles’ Saquon Barkley delivers righteous message to James Cook ahead of free agency

After turning in one of the best, if not the best, single running back seasons in NFL history for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, Saquon Barkley got paid, again, to the tune of a new two-year, $41 million extension.

Now granted, Barkley was already getting paid, but now, Howie Roseman has made him the first $20 million-per-year running back, which is a big deal for not just the pride of PSU but for the market too, as there are a number of interesting young rushers who will also be hitting the market.

Discussing his new contract with reporters, Barkley noted that he’s not only excited for his bag but for how it could impact the market too, as there are young players like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and especially James Cook, who is looking to get paid.

“For (Bijan Robinson) and (Jahmyr Gibbs)— I know (James) Cook is up, too – all those guys up to get paid, I hope they beat it. That’s how I look at it. I don’t care, ‘Is this guy going to be paid more than me?’ That’s not what this sport is about,” Saquon Barkley explained via Zach Berman.

“It’s putting the position up, and all those guys who are underneath me right now, when there’s a time, they beat it and max it out even more. And in 5 and 10 years, all those guys who are playing in high school and college right now. That’s the goal. It’s happening for every other position. I think it should happen for our position, too.”

Now granted, just because Barkley is getting paid doesn’t mean the Bills will give Cook his desired $15 million AAV contract moving forward. Sure, they just gave Josh Allen a $330 million extension despite having nearly a half-decade left on his deal and handed out other deals to players like Greg Rousou, but there’s still a stigma about paying running backs, even if Barkley challenged that in 2024.

Will Barkley’s masterful performances change the running backs market forever? Only time will tell, but for now, he’s certainly got teams thinking about it, with players like Cook having a chance to solidify that status one way or the other with their own markets.