Eagles star Saquon Barkley goes on recruitment tour to bring Jason Kelce out of retirement
Saquon Barkley is embarking on a new chapter of his career in 2024. After six seasons with the New York Giants, the two-time Pro Bowl running back is crossing over to the divisional rival Philadelphia Eagles, having signed a three-year contract. Unfortunately, he arrived just over a week after Jason Kelce's retirement.
Barkley must have watched the veteran center's retirement press conference, as he tried to convince him to unretire and return to playing for the Eagles in the teaser of Thursday's episode of New Heights (Kelce's massively popular podcast with his younger brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis):
Barkley: I’m like a kid in a candy store. I’m happy, I got a fresh start. I can’t wait to meet everybody and just go out there and play ball."
Kelce: “It’s going to be so fun to watch. It’s going to be so fun to be a part of, it’s going to be great.”
Barkley: “You don’t got to watch it, ya know?”
Saquon Barkley signing revives value of RB position at Eagles
As mentioned before, the signing of Saquon Barkley represents a massive paradigm shift in how running backs last in Philadelphia.
Ever since DeMarco Murray was traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2015, general manager Howie Roseman has largely shied away from splurging on running backs. 2016 would see Kenjon Brner, Ryan Mathews, and Darren Sproles underwhelm, before the team made some leeway in 2017 by signing recent Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount, then trading for Jay Ajayi midseason.
It worked, as the Eagles would win Super Bowl LII. But the seasons since have seemingly seen a return to the norm. Recently Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift each joined different teams once they became free agents.
But Barkley’s huge contract represents a new stance for Roseman, who told reporters during the annual league meetings in Orlando:
“We think he’s a special person. And so when you’re trying to find those guys, they’re hard to find, especially on the open market.”
The contract is worth $37.75 million, the largest in franchise history at the position since Murray’s five-year, $42-million deal.