It was something of a surprise when the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms on a contract extension with All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley this offseason, just a year removed from his original three-year deal with the team.
The $20 million per year contract became the richest for a running back in league history.
But why did the Eagles make that revised deal?
They clearly didn't need to come to an agreement, yet they did so anyway. This isn't to say Barkley didn't deserve an increase in pay. His 2,504 rushing yards were the most ever for a running back in league history, including the playoffs. By that count, he was very deserving of the new deal.
But there might be a deeper reason as to why the agreement happened.
You see, back in Week 17, Barkley and the Eagles were rolling through the Dallas Cowboys in a game they ended up winning 41-7. During the contest, Barkley became the first Eagle in franchise history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
He was also just 100 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 rushing yards.
Instead of allowing Barkley to play in the final few minutes in Week 17, or in Week 18 at all for that matter, Philadelphia chose to sit the starters. The move was controversial at the time, and later was something that bothered Barkley during that standpoint.
Philadelphia's reason, of course, was to make sure they had their elite roster fully healthy and prepared for a Super Bowl run. In their minds, helping Barkley become a Super Bowl champion over the record would immortalize just as much.
The Eagles were right. Their run to the title win in February has pushed Barkley into the all-time great conversation.
But what if Philadelphia actually came to an unspoken agreement with Barkley - especially after the runner made it clear he was unhappy with sitting the final game of the season? If the Eagles essentially promised Barkley they would give him a raise for being comfortable sitting the final game of the year, then that changes the entire conversation of his all-time season.
None of this is confirmed at this time, but it's an interesting "secret theory'' that delves into how the Eagles take care of their stars.
And exactly why Barkley ended up being OK with the record chase despite it working out in a Super Bowl.
