Saquon Barkley has looked unstoppable in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. In the process, Barkley has proven how much a star running back is worth, and NFL legend Barry Sanders appreciates that.
Over the last handful of years, the value of the running back position has dropped in NFL free agency, with a few notable exceptions. Barkley was one of those exceptions, signing a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles after the New York Giants let him walk.
All Barkley has done since then is lead the league in rushing yards with 1,688 while scoring 13 total touchdowns. In doing so, Barkley has erased any doubt about whether he was worth that big contract.
Barry Sanders, a Hall of Fame running back and the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history, loves that Barkley has silenced any doubters he had coming into the season. Barkley posted a photo of a signed jersey from Sanders that included a heartfelt message.
"I love the fact that you've shown everyone how valuable you really are," Sanders wrote.
“To Saquon. I love the fact that you showed everyone how valuable you really are.”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 17, 2024
The legendary Barry Sanders sent Saquon Barkley an autographed jersey with a special note on it
📸 @saquon pic.twitter.com/uIhI37gaTU
In his last few seasons with the Giants, Barkley struggled without much help around him. He broke the 1,000-yard mark just once from 2021-2023, and he tallied just 18 rushing touchdowns. When he signed with the Eagles, there was some question about whether it was good business for the team to commit that much money to a running back.
Now, there are no more questions. Barkley has been the best running back in the NFL, and the Eagles lead the league in rushing with 186.2 yards per game.
