Ladies and gentlemen, Saquon Barkley is a very rich man. He's been so for a while, but now, his great, great grandchildren won't have to work. The Philadelphia Eagles have awarded him with a brand new extension which figures, by our theory, to make him a Bird for life. Hey... You won't hear complaints from this direction.
Are you sitting down? The deal adds two more years to the three-year, $37.75 million deal he inked last March during free agency. During years four and five, he'll earn $41.2 million with $36 million in guarantees.
That makes him the highest-paid tailback in NFL history and, quite possibly, sets off a chain reaction. Philly has to decide about several free agents. This could also prompt a legend's restructure.
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Three Eagles who could sign their extensions in the very near future
By now, most of you have heard the news. Philly is expected to move on from Darius Slay. That was announced on Monday. News that they'll part ways with James Bradberry came one day later on Tuesday.
They'll be designated as post-June 1st cuts. That saves the Birds $6.4 million in cap space. Extending Saquon saves the organization more money.
His cap hit was around $13.5 million next season, but now it is $6.8 million. Howie Roseman does it again. Keep an eye out for news about the following Eagles. We may hear something fairly soon.
Worth mentioning: Lane Johnson, right tackle
Lane Johnson is signed through the 2025 and 2026 seasons, making him a free agent in 2027. We knew he'd return for another season before Super Bowl 59, but he has two years remaining on his deal. We're uncertain that he'll play that long, but we are sad to report that it seems unlikely he'd be restructured.
Previous restructuring set his base salary for the 2025 and 2026 seasons at the veteran minimum. His base is $1.25 million in 2025 and $1.3 million in 2026.
Cam Jurgens, center
Cam Jurgens enters the final year of his deal, and we know how this works. The Birds pay guys sooner rather than later. Extending him could lower his 2025 base salary from $5.35 million to the veteran minimum of $1.125 million, the number calculated to veterans with 4-6 years of experience.
There's just one thing to consider. If Philly went this route, future years of the deal will be heavily backloaded. In other words, we revisit the issue of cap strain because of his price tag years later.
We still expect to hear something about his extension relatively soon. His first year as a starter ended with his first Pro Bowl nomination. He's someone the Eagles would certainly like to keep in the fold.
Zack Baun, linebacker
This is the big one. This is the priority. Zack Baun joined a new team, switched positions, and became a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro. Philly is expected to lose a few players during free agency, but everyone hopes this guy doesn't wind up being one of them.
Worth mentioning: Dallas Goedert and Jordan Davis
While Dallas Goedert and Jordan Davis aren't eligible for free agency until 2026, the same rules are in place that apply for Cam Jurgens. Pay these guys earlier rather than later. The price will only rise. Plus we'd like to see our Birds lock them down.