PHILADELPHIA — If you're a fan of both Penn State football and the Philadelphia Eagles, today is a very good day.
The Eagles have reportedly agreed to the terms of a deal with former Nittany Lion star Saquon Barkley, who is a free agent after six seasons with the New York Giants.
Barkley, 27, is signing a three-year, $37.75 million contract, according to NFL reporter Adam Schefter.
While he's missed 25 games in his first six seasons in the league, Barkley is widely regarded as the top three-down running back on the free-agent market.
Barkley, who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Giants in 2018, has racked up 5,211 rushing yards, 2,100 receiving yards, and 47 total touchdowns in six seasons in New York. He won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2018.
Unfortunately for Giants fans, Barkley's brilliance has not translated to much in the way of victories. New York is 34-68-1 in the six seasons since Barkley's arrival, with just one brief postseason appearance to show for it (that was in 2022, when they were stomped 38-7 the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round.
Barkley and the Giants tried to negotiate a new deal prior to last season, but were unable to come to terms, forcing New York to place the franchise tag on Barkley, who was reportedly unhappy with the decision but showed up for training camp without making any waves.
The 6-0, 232-pound running back had a spectacular three-year tenure at Penn State, helping the Lions win a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl victory in his sophomore season.
Barkley rushed for 3,843 yards and 43 touchdowns and added 102 catches for 1,195 yards and eight scores in his three seasons at Penn State. He also returned two kicks for touchdowns, including a memorable one at the start of the 2017 Rose Bowl.
