It's no secret that the running back position has had an odd few years in the National Football League.
The running back position as a whole likely has been underpaid and unappreciated. This is something that has been specifically shown in free agency. But, times are starting to change. Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley has helped to break the mold. Last year, he signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles after the New York Giants refused to pay him what he's worth.
Barkley responded by having one of the best season by a running back in National Football League history. He racked up over 2,000 rushing yards in the regular season and over 2,500 yards overall including the playoffs. Barkley landed a new two-year, $41.2 million extension this offseason with Philadelphia.
The running back position is starting to at least see the beginning of a sort of renaissance and another guy who has helped with this fact is Baltimore Ravens superstar Derrick Henry. He somehow only landed a two-year, $16 million deal last year with the Ravens but after yet another great campaign landed a two-year, $30 million extension on Wednesday.
Barkley had a brief message for his fellow superstar.
@KingHenry_2 yesssirr ✊🏾✊🏾 https://t.co/LhxFv07TGp
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) May 15, 2025
Times are changing and these two are leading the charge. The running back position is starting to get the respect it deserves and the performance of generational stars like Barkley and Henry will significantly help those that will come next.
