Saquon Barkley's remarkable season should be a win for RBs 

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley's exceptional 2024 season should prove the position still matters.

In 2024, Barkley broke Hall of Fame RB Terrell Davis' record for rushing yards in a season (including playoffs) with 2,504 in 20 games. Although he only ran for 57 yards on 25 carries in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs, he was still key in Philadelphia's 40-22 victory. 

In a piece published Tuesday, Arnie Melendrez Stapleton of the Associated Press noted that Barkley "forced the Chiefs to load the box with extra defenders, " which opened up the Eagles' passing attack. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts finished 17-of-22 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

NFL teams have recently devalued RBs. Per Spotrac co-founder Michael Ginnitti, the average salary of starting RBs in 2024 was $5.5M, the third-lowest figure among all starters.

The philosophy does make some sense. RBs can be injury-prone, and their production tends to decrease as they age. 

When the Eagles signed Barkley to a three-year, $37.75M deal in March 2024, the move carried some risk. The 28-year-old missed 25 games with knee and ankle injuries in his first six seasons with the New York Giants. 

But investing in stars like Barkley can still be worthwhile. 

"It's about time running backs start getting some credibility," an AFC executive recently told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "You won't sign an average back to big money, but you will sign an average quarterback to big money. Maybe that's because teams were getting to Super Bowls without an elite back. But with the evolution of the game, teams are returning to the things we do best. We all know how big a part a running back is to an offense." 

Passing yardage has steadily declined over the past five seasons. According to Pro Football Reference, teams averaged 240.2 yards passing in 2020. That number dropped to 217.6 in 2024. 

Perhaps this ties to teams veering away from the run game, making offenses less balanced. An elite back like Barkley can help solve this problem, which is one reason franchises should consider revaluing the position.