American Professional OlivesThe NFL's Philadelphia Hawks won 14-3 in the 2024 season and finally entered the Super Cup, beating the defending Kansas Chiefs 40-22 to win the championship, and star running back Barkley is undoubtedly the biggest contributor. On the 5th, Beijing time, the Hawks also announced that they would renew Barkley's contract for 2 years and $41.2 million, making him the highest-paid running back in history.
Star running back Barkley
According to ESPN's well-known reporter Chefert, the Hawks retained Barkley early on a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension, which includes a guaranteed salary of $36 million, making Barkley the first running back in NFL history to earn more than $20 million a year, in addition, he has the opportunity to earn an additional $15 million through bonus and incentive terms.
The 28-year-old Barkley moved from the New York Giants to fellow division rivals the Hawks on a three-year, $38 million contract in March last year, and played one of the greatest running back seasons in NFL history under the Hawks' formidable offensive front. Barkley combined for 2,504 yards in the regular season and playoffs, breaking the record for Hall of Fame running back Davis and leading the Hawks to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2022.
It's worth mentioning that running backs are generally paid less than players in other positions in the NFL today. Last offseason, the league's highest-paid running back at the time was McCaffer of the San Francisco 49ers, with an annual salary of $16 million, and only six running backs earned more than $10 million a year, including Barkley's $13 million; In comparison, there are 16 wide receivers with annual salaries of more than $20 million, and 13 outside receivers with annual salaries of more than $10 million, including even some outside receivers who are not the team's number one.
Now Barkley has won an epic contract extension and is poised to redefine the value of running backs in the market. In his seven-year career, he accumulated 7,216 yards and 48 running touchdowns, won the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year, and was selected for 3 Professional Cups, 1 First Team of the Year and 1 Offensive Player of the Year. Fly Eagles Fly! ”