Saquon Barkley reacts to the report that the Eagles won’t trade him: ‘I plan on being here’
Despite the Eagles losing a sixth straight game, the team is expected to hold onto Barkley through Nov. 10's NFL trade deadline.
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline looming, Saquon Barkley made it clear that he doesn’t want to leave Philadelphia.
The 29-year-old running back has been the subject of trade speculation over the past week. The floundering Eagles have fallen further from playoff contention, which could lead Howie Roseman to part with players on expiring contracts and/or players on multi-year deals at the deadline in an effort to build anew for the future.
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But ESPN reported on Sunday morning ahead of the Eagles’ 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders that Barkley will not be traded before the deadline. And Barkley isn’t seeking a change of scenery, either.
“I would love to be here,” Barkley said. “I plan on being here. The way the season’s going, I’m not one of those guys that’s like, ‘Oh, the season’s not going the way we [want], let’s just jump ship.’ That’s not the type of person I am. So I’d rather be part of ... right now, we have a problem we’ve got to fix and hopefully I can be one of the reasons why we fix it.”
Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal in free agency with the Eagles after spending the first six years of his career with the New York Giants. After his historic 2024 season, in which he eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards during the regular season and helped the Eagles to the Super Bowl, he signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension to keep him under contract through the 2028 season.
This season has ventured into unprecedented territory for Barkley and the Eagles, who have lost six consecutive games for the first time since 2012. Barkley is limited in his ability to contribute on the field, too, as he is playing through hamstring and back injuries.
Barkley was on a pitch count to manage his injuries on Sunday, combining for 14 total touches — 13 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown and one reception for 24 yards. His workload was an improvement compared to his outing in the Eagles’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys last week, in which Barkley had nine touches (seven carries for 62 yards and a touchdown; two receptions for nine yards).
“I’m just frustrated because my mind is there, but with the hammy and all that stuff, my body’s not really where I need [it] to be right now,” Barkley said. “But I’ve just got to keep grinding, rehabbing, and just continue to try to get stronger and get better.”
The Eagles play one more game before the trade deadline against Barkley’s former team, the 4-2-1 Giants. That game marks the halfway point of a schedule that has seemingly contained a full season’s worth of injuries to the team.
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With nine games to go, Barkley isn’t thinking about whether playing through the pain is sustainable for the rest of the year.
“Just take one game at a time,” Barkley said. “Can’t really focus on that. Just be aggressive in my rehab, attack my rehab, and just get my body ready.”
