Late for Work: How Will Saquon Barkley’s New Deal Impact Derrick Henry?
How Will Saquon Barkley’s New Deal Impact Potential Contract Extension for Derrick Henry?
As the Ravens look at potentially signing Derrick Henry to a contract extension, the Philadelphia Eagles inked Saquon Barkley to an extension Tuesday that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
Barkley’s two-year extension is reportedly worth $41.2 million in new money and includes $36 million guaranteed with an additional $15 million in incentives. The new deal, which locks up Barkley through 2028, makes him the first running back to earn $20-plus million per year.
How this affects an extension for Henry remains to be seen. Even before Barkley’s new contract, Henry was in line for a significant pay increase.
The Ravens signed Henry last offseason to a two-year deal reportedly worth $16 million plus incentives that could boost the total up to $20 million. It proved to be a tremendous bargain.
The 31-year-old Henry, who is three years older than Barkley, has said that he wants to finish his career with the Ravens.
When General Manager Eric DeCosta was asked at the Scouting Combine last week about extending Henry, he said: “I think we have a picture of Derrick going up on my [office] wall. So, what does that tell you?”
Despite it being reported earlier this week that the Ravens were expected to re-sign left tackle Ronnie Stanley “in the coming days,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted the two-time Pro Bowler will hit the open market and sign with the New England Patriots.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss projected the Patriots’ offer to be four years, $100 million ($65 million guaranteed), while ESPN’s Jamison Hensley projected the Ravens’ offer to be three years, $60 million ($43 million guaranteed).
“This is the kind of deal that makes a player feel as if the team wants to build its offseason around him,” Graziano said of the hypothetical Patriots offer. “Stanley considers himself one of the elite left tackles in the league, and this is a contract that shows the Patriots agree.”