The noise is only getting louder online, with everyone egging on the Philadelphia Eagles to trade running back Saquon Barkley after the Cam Jurgens trade and the team's 2-3 start.
Barkley missed the Eagles' Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a hamstring injury he sustained against the Los Angeles Rams the previous week. That injury also opened the door for many teams to name him as a potential trade candidate.
Teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Jaguars have been linked as potential trade partners for Barkley. Let's just set the record straight: Barkley will be an Eagle in 2026, no matter what.
Saquon Barkley trade off Eagles' roster doesn't make any sense in 2026
Let's start with the contract situation. Barkley is currently on a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that runs through the 2028 season. Trading him now would save the Eagles $1 million. Still, it also carries $ 26 million in dead cap, which the Eagles would really like to limit right now. If anything, the Eagles have a potential out on his contract after the season, so if they want to move on from him, that could be when they do it.
Another thing to consider is that the Eagles aren't in the mood for a full rebuild right now. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie have already made it clear that they're in it to win it in 2026.
Philly can't function as an offense without Barkley on the field. He has rushed for 182 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry, and that was with an offensive line that has been banged up and has been playing poorly in run blocking. As for the rest of the running backs? Tank Bigsby is averaging 3.3 yards per carry, Will Shipley 2.9, and Dameon Pierce 1.3.
If the Eagles trade for Barkley, they'll need the right assets. Eagles got a 2028 second-round pick for Jurgens, and they weren't even looking to move him, but the deal was so good that Roseman couldn't resist. It would have to take that kind of deal for the Eagles to move on from Barkley, and with his injury history right now, that might be tough to get.
Everyone wants the Eagles to have a fire sale because it would make for good headlines, and everyone is tired of the team always winning. Trading players like Barkley would doom the Eagles for a long time, which NFL fans would love to see.
The team is not going to do that and has never really been about that. This team has won nearly 70% of its games since 2021, reached two Super Bowls, and won one. Philly is committed to staying in contention for a Super Bowl, no matter what people think.
One player with a legit shot at being traded is Landon Dickerson because of his injury history and recent poor play. Outside of him, no one makes 100% sense to trade unless the compensation is good.
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Even with Barkley's 2026 injuries, he is still playing good football, and his average is actually much better than in 2025. His regression is there, but he is still better than most of the running backs in the NFL. The Eagles simply can't pull the plug on him just yet.
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