Eagles running back Saquon Barkley wants to be part of the solution in Philadelphia, and the front office apparently views him as an essential piece of the franchise.
Barkley said the team informed him he will be sticking around beyond the upcoming NFL trade deadline even with Philadelphia (2-6) in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
“I didn’t really read too much — you see the tweets and whatever, but I guess it means a lot,” Barkley said Sunday night of the Eagles’ commitment to keeping him on the roster.
“I have nothing but respect for this organization, top to bottom. I really do think they do things the right way. I relish every time to go out there and play for this organization, put on the midnight green. So when that message was relayed to me, it definitely does mean a lot. But my whole mindset is we have a little issue going on right now and I feel like I’m the type of player and type of leader who can help us get out of it. I want to be one of the reasons why we fix it.”
Barkley, 29, is playing through back and hamstring injuries. He scored Philadelphia’s lone touchdown in a 27-10 loss to the host Washington Commanders on Sunday night and said after the game that he’s frustrated because “my mind is there, but with the hammy and the back, my body isn’t right now.”
With starting quarterback Jalen Hurts (blood clots) lost for the season and other injuries to key players, speculation that Barkley could be dealt picked up in recent weeks.
The three-time Pro Bowler has two years and north of $35 million remaining on his contract.
After six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley arrived in Philadelphia in 2024. He promptly ran for a league-leading 2,005 yards before helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX.
He did produce his fifth 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025, but his production (1,140 yards, 4.1 yards per carry) was down significantly.
This season, Barkley suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 and did not play in Week 5 vs. Jacksonville in London or Week 6 vs. Carolina. He only carried the ball seven times (62 yards) in a Monday night loss to Dallas in Week 7 while struggling with a persistent back ailment.