The Philadelphia Eagles have made it clear that running back Saquon Barkley will not be traded before the NFL's November 10 deadline, according to NFL Network reports. Despite a 2-5 start and Barkley's reduced usage, general manager Howie Roseman has informed interested teams that the 29-year-old is off the market.
Barkley has two years and $35 million remaining on his contract. The Eagles plan to move forward with their current offensive core into 2027, even as their playoff hopes fade with quarterback Jalen Hurts out for the season. At last year's deadline, Philadelphia were buyers, acquiring edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Michael Carter II. This year, they could become sellers, but Barkley remains a franchise player they intend to keep.
The running back 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 attempts, well below his previous averages of 312 carries and 1,572 yards per season in his first two years with the team. 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."
With four other running backs on injured reserve, the Eagles' backfield options are limited to Barkley, Jaydon Blue, and Elijah Mitchell for the upcoming game.
