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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
This one might sting a little bit for Dallas Cowboys fans.
After torturing the NFL in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl champion Saquon Barkley told YouTube streamer Janky Rondo he never heard from the Cowboys or Washington Commanders when he was a free agent last spring.
“Never heard a word from the Commanders or Dallas,” Barkley said. “That’s why it’s BTA when I see them.”
In slang, “BTA” usually means “Belt To (Expletive)” although Barkley doesn’t confirm that’s what he meant.
Whatever Barkley meant by his comments, he unleashed his full fury on the Commanders and Cowboys in 2024. I
n 5 combined games against the Commanders and Cowboys last season, including an NFC Championship Game win over the Commanders, the Eagles went 4-1 while Barkley rushed for 647 yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
BTA indeed.
The fact the Cowboys never even picked up the phone seems kind of staggering — why would they not have at least reached out?
From the DLLS Dallas Cowboys Podcast on June 30: “That’s why we have the 30-year (Super Bowl) drought. The Cowboys are so quick to say, well, the agent didn’t call them. The agent should have called Jerry (Jones). No. It’s your job at the front office to seek out talent … A lot of guys want to hear from America’s Team. They want to say they at least heard from America’s Team.”
Barkley, who played his first 6 seasons in the NFC East for the New York Giants, signed a 3-year, $37.75 million free agent contract with the Eagles in March 2024 and re-upped for a 2-year, $41.2 million contract extension in March 2024 that made him the highest paid running back in NFL history.
Barkley Had Season For The Ages in Philly
Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season in 2024. Even more impressive was that he did so while sitting out the regular season finale against the Giants after the Eagles locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
After helping lead the Eagles to the second Super Bowl win in franchise history, Barkley’s team wasted little time making sure he landed another big payday — an almost unprecedented move to get a new deal just one year after landing your other new deal.
“Eagles are rewarding Saquon Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, per sources,” Schefter wrote on his official X account on March 4. “The deal makes Barkley the NFL’s first $20 million+ per-year running back. Barkley also has the ability to earn an additional $15 million in incentives and escalators. The deal includes $36 million fully guaranteed at signing.”
Cowboys Have Wasteland at Running Back
The irony of all of this is that one year later, running back is arguably the weakest position group on the Dallas roster. Right now, the presumed starter is free agent Javonte Williams, who averaged just 3.7 yards per carry last season for the Denver Broncos.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame