NEW ORLEANS – Super Bowl LIX will feature arguably the NFL’s top running back in Saquon Barkley who, in his inaugural season with the Philadelphia Eagles, rushed for over 2,000 yards to join elite company in that respect on his way to playing in the « Big Game » for the first time.
Barkley, like many other running backs in the NFL, are the tonesetter on offense – as he goes, the rest of the offense follows. The same can be said for other star backs in the NFL, so why is Barkley making just $12.583 million per year on his new Eagles deal?
The running back market has been scrutinized by those who play the position, as well as others throughout the football world, because there are teams that wouldn’t be able to function without their running backs.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back (and former NY Giants back) Saquon Barkley (26) greets fans at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)
For example, could you imagine Green Bay Packers’ success this season without Josh Jacobs, who was sixth in rushing yards this year? He spoke to Fox News Digital on Wednesday at radio row ahead of Super Bowl LIX, where he said the running back market « has to go up. »
« I think there’s no way it couldn’t go up, because I feel like the top seven guys right now, three of them got to get paid soon, » Jacobs, who also discussed his partnership with USAA, the official « Salute to Service » partner of the NFL. « Those guys are Bijan [Robinson], Jahmyr [Gibbs], and Kyren [Williams]. Their [contract] stuff is coming up. »
The players Jacobs mentioned are still on their rookie deals, but each of them finished in the top seven in rushing yards in 2024. And there were almost two 2,000-yard rushers last season, as Baltimore Ravens veteran Derrick Henry thrived with his new squad.
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Jacobs showed love to his position group, only proving his point more.
« Obviously, doing what Saquon and Derrick has done. You even see Joe Mixon and what he’s done. I think it’s got to go up, » he explained. « Even with Christian and his extension he got at the beginning of the year, I think it helps the running back market. But seeing what we did, how much we were for our teams, I think the market has to go up. »
Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers in free agency this past season, joining a team that he had great success with as he scored 15 times on the ground.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) celebrates a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
But to think that players like Mixon, who finished with 1,312 yards from scrimmage for the Houston Texans, is only making $9.875 million per season doesn’t sound right when some tight ends are making close to double that.
In fact, Henry’s deal with the Ravens was only worth $16 million over two years.
Will the running back market finally adjust to where players in the position group are happy with the compensation? Or will teams still consider it a position that can be plug-and-play throughout the year?
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Jacobs is in the Big Easy to not only enjoy his time around fellow peers while watching the Big Game – he’s surprising one of our military veterans with tickets to the Super Bowl.
Sergeant Major Kevin Bennett of the U.S. Marine Corps spent 34 years, from 1971-2004, dedicating his life to combat missions all over the world. Being a huge Packers fan, it was only right in Jacobs’ eyes that the running back be the one to surprise Bennett with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience football’s biggest stage.
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Jacobs and Bennett will share some time together on Friday when tickets will be bestowed on one of America’s heroes.
« Man, I’m excited, because, obviously, to me, they’re the real heroes, » Jacobs said. « My grandpa served in the Air Force and my uncle actually served in the marines. So, for me, it’s definitely closer to home. To be able sit down, talk to him, pick his brain a little bit, tell him I appreciate his service and things like that is definitely huge for me. »
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