Eagles Hold Barkley: No Trade Before Deadline
Philadelphia keeps the running back through November 10 despite injury concerns and a 2-5 record.
By Noor Graham ·
The Philadelphia Eagles will keep Saquon Barkley on the roster through the trade deadline on November 10. NFL Network reporters Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport confirmed the decision on Saturday.
Barkley returned to the lineup on Monday and rushed for 62 yards on seven carries, scoring a touchdown. However, he is still managing a hamstring injury that kept him out of two previous games. The player also tweaked his back during that practice and appeared on the injury report this week. The team expects him to play in the Sunday night game against the Washington Commanders.
Eagles officials face difficulty valuing the 29-year-old former Offensive Player of the Year given his current health status. The team is 2-5 this season and has already lost key players Lane Johnson to retirement and Jalen Hurts to blood clots. General managers may hesitate to trade away a star player for a mid-round pick when the team needs stability.
Salary cap considerations also favor keeping Barkley. According to Over The Cap, the Eagles would owe $28.958 million in dead cap money next season if they cut him before June 1. Trading him before that date would result in $26.458 million in dead cap. Holding him allows the team to avoid a large immediate cap hit while hoping he recovers for next year.
Barkley is scheduled to carry a cap number of $13.057 million for the upcoming season. The Eagles plan to monitor his condition through the final regular-season games before making further roster decisions.
