Saquon Barkley played a key role in the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl-winning season - so much so that a narrative emerged about a resurgence of the running back position.
Barkley suggested in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated that talk of a resurgence implied not that talented running backs were lacking in recent years, but that teams had grown reluctant to hand out large contracts, causing compensation for elite rushers to dip.
The three-time Pro Bowler said he believed the dip stemmed from "three to four" high-profile running backs signing big deals and subsequently getting injured.
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Barkley called the devaluation of running backs a narrative that was designed to keep salaries down.
"(It) wasn't, like, a diss to just me," Barkley told the outlet. "It's something they were trying to make up, just so they can get players for cheaper value. And if you make that argument for running backs, you can do that for any position in the NFL."
"Now, you have owners and GMs trying to find great players for cheaper value," Barkley said. "That's what it all was. I got tagged. Josh Jacobs got tagged (by the Las Vegas Raiders)."
"I'm not going to sit here and say there was colluding. I'm not going into all that. But football is football. If you cannot run the ball, you're done."
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Barkley pointed out that teams routinely sign wide receivers to big contracts as they enter their 30s, and if those players underperform, it isn't discussed nearly as much as when running backs hit that stage of their careers.
"That (past prime) notion is so funny," Barkley said. "It's bunk, all the running-back-position-is-dying stuff. You got wide receivers who [teams] pay all this money to, and when they get into their 30s, they're not performing at the highest level; you just never hear that. How many quarterbacks can you name who played into their later 30s? Everyone's not Tom Brady. They have to let that go!"
Last season, the 28-year-old delivered one of the best rushing seasons in NFL history.
In 16 games - he sat out Week 18 ahead of the playoff run - Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards on 345 attempts with 13 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He led the league in rushing yards, attempts and yards per game.
Barkley carried that dominance into the postseason, rushing for 499 yards on 91 attempts with five touchdowns in four playoff games - leading all running backs in each category.
Now, Barkley will look to help lead the Eagles in their pursuit of another Super Bowl ring when they open the season against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
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