Saquon Barkley‘s tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles has been dominant.
But his time with the Eagles is also coming to an finish quickly.
Barkley’s contract phrases change drastically after this season, which might lead to his release from Philadelphia after this season in line with Jeff Kerr of Sports Illustrated’s Eagles web site.
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Barkley had 2,005 speeding yards in 2024 and adopted that up with one other stupendous season the place he topped 1,400 all-purpose yards and landed at No. 8 on the top starting running back ranking by Pro-Football Focus.
Saquon Barkley Could be Released After the 2026 Season
Barkley, after all, signed a three-year, $37 million contract earlier than his record-setting 2024 season, which led to a market-setting two-year, $41 million extension that supposedly retains in Philadelphia by the 2028 season.
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But Barkley will flip 30 the identical week the Eagles hope to be making ready for Super Bowl LXI, and that’s the imaginary summit for many working backs. Depending on Barkley’s season, or maybe inevitably, he might find yourself as a cap casualty in early June.
“Barkley does make $16.75 million guaranteed in 2026, and that number drops to $2.5 million in 2027. This is where things really get interesting,” Kerr wrote. “Barkley makes $20.6 million a season on average and has an option bonus of $14.405 million in 2027.
“If the Eagles decide up the choice, they’re paying some huge cash for a 30-year-old working again. Barkley wasn’t elite final season, and it might not matter if he is elite this season.”
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The Eagles would save about $5 million cap area by releasing Barkley after June 1, per Over the Cap and eat lower than $8 million in lifeless cash.
The Eagles are inclined to make proactive strikes relatively than reactive ones, and a Barkley choice could be simply that.
The Eagles Could Restructure Saquon Barkley’s Contract or Release him After 2027
Barkley is a marketer’s dream, from an Eagles perspective.
He’s a local kid from Whitehall Township that went to Penn State and had arguably the greatest offensive season in Eagles history.
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So cutting Barkley after just three seasons would still look really bad from an Eagles perspective, especially if Barkley bounces back in Sean Mannion’s offense — which seems to be tailor made for him.
But Barkley’s contract seems destined to be axed after the 2027 season. He has no guaranteed money for 2028, will be 30 going on 31 and could save the Eagles almost $12 million in cap space.
Plus by 2028 the Eagles could be overhauling their core — and may even have a new head coach by then.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2026, the place it first appeared within the NFL part. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.