The Philadelphia Eagles might be at an inflection point in their championship contention window. Injuries to myriad starters, the loss of Jalen Hurts for the season, Lane Johnson's retirement and an offense that cannot seem to get off the ground raise questions about whether general manager Howie Roseman tears his roster down at the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline. If he does, star running back Saquon Barkley might be headed out of town.
Trading Barkley would be the ultimate admission that the Eagles, as currently constructed, cannot achieve their goals. The financial impact of moving him will lock this franchise into a rebuild, as he carries a salary cap hit of $26.4 million in dead money for 2027. At the same time, the large sum of unusable cap space gives the Eagles leverage over trade partners in that they can drive up the price.
Suitors could also be inclined to pay up, considering Barkley is only guaranteed $2.5 million next season and has no guaranteed money in the final year of his contract in 2028. On the other hand, Barkley is an aging running back who will turn 30 years old the week before the Super Bowl. He has not been able to replicate the magic of his career-best 2024 season, so the former NFL Offensive Player of the Year's best days may be behind him.
That could make teams tepid about spending first-round draft capital in a potential trade. There are a number of teams that need help at running back, and despite the questions about Barkley's longevity, he would likely elevate their offenses to a significant degree. Here are six potential trades that would move Barkley out of Philadelphia.
Eagles receive: Cam Skattebo, 2027 second-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick In such a weak NFC East, the division-leading Giants have a path to the playoffs, but they need a functional run game to get there. Even with their abundance of options, it seems John Harbaugh does not know who to deploy at running back (especially if you ask Najee Harris). Reuniting with Barkley eliminates all questions.
Plus, Harbaugh himself said this week that it would be "great" to be in a "Saquon Barkley circumstance" where the Giants had a clear-cut No. 1 ballcarrier. A return to New York makes plenty of sense for Barkley, but it would likely cost the Giants a premium to pull it off, given the intra-division nature of the trade. For multiple years of control of the Eagles' star running back, they may have to part with their own top running back asset in addition to meaningful draft capital.
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