The Philadelphia Eagles have made it clear they intend to keep running back Saquon Barkley ahead of the NFL's November 10 trade deadline, despite the team's 2-5 start and dwindling playoff hopes.
According to NFL Network, general manager Howie Roseman has informed interested teams that the 29-year-old Barkley is off the market. Barkley has two years and $35 million remaining on his contract, and the Eagles plan to build around their current offensive core for the 2027 season.
Trade Deadline Stance
Last season the Eagles were active buyers at the deadline, acquiring edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Michael Carter II. This year, with quarterback Jalen Hurts lost for the season and the team sitting third in the NFC East, Philadelphia could have become sellers, but Roseman has drawn a line on Barkley.
Injury and Usage Concerns
Barkley has been limited by a back injury, playing only nine snaps in last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Through seven games he has 244 rushing yards and one touchdown on 43 carries, a sharp decline from his first two seasons in Philadelphia when he averaged 312 carries and 1,572 yards per year.
With four other running backs on injured reserve, the Eagles' backfield currently consists of Barkley, Jaydon Blue, and Elijah Mitchell. Barkley did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and was limited in Friday's walk-through, but he expects to play Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
"I would hope so; I believe I'll be able to," Barkley said Friday. "There's one day I'm not going to be playing football. Whenever that is, I don't want to look back and be like, 'I could have given it a chance and I didn't.' It's kind of what I live by. I'm going to try my best to just keep recovering, being smart, but I like playing football, so if I have an opportunity to play, I'm going to try my best to play."
