A writer who covers the Green Bay Packers floated a long-shot idea Wednesday that the team could pursue Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley after the Eagles dealt a starting offensive lineman.
Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports wrote that the Eagles’ trade of interior lineman Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens could open a conversation about Barkley. He framed the idea as unlikely and worth only as an exercise.
Philadelphia sent Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Baltimore for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. The move came a day after right tackle Lane Johnson retired.
Ferreira noted that general manager Howie Roseman has bought and sold depending on the team’s direction. If the Eagles are not competitive by the Nov. 10 deadline, moving a 29-year-old back could bring draft capital before an age-related drop-off.
Barkley remains under contract through 2028 after an extension. Ferreira wrote that any acquiring team would pay roughly $8 million for the rest of this season, about $16 million in 2027 that is mostly guaranteed, and a $19.2 million salary in 2028 that works as a team option.
Green Bay’s need is clear on the field. After four weeks, the Packers rank ninth in run-block win rate but 32nd in rush expected points added, Ferreira wrote. He pointed to the combination of MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks as the reason.
Starter Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner’s exempt list, with no clear timeline for a return this year. Slot receiver Jayden Reed is also out for the season with a neck injury, which has added pressure on the run game.
Ferreira sketched one possible framework. Green Bay would receive Barkley and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Philadelphia would receive Jacobs, a 2027 third-round pick, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
He compared the package to the 2022 deal that sent Christian McCaffrey from Carolina to San Francisco, though at a lower price because of age. Jacobs under contract through 2027 could make the return more workable for the Eagles, he wrote.
The sides have a shared history at the position. When the Eagles signed Barkley to a three-year, $39 million deal in 2024, the Packers gave Jacobs a four-year, $48 million contract. The average annual values were close. The structures were not.
Barkley has 36 carries for 182 yards and no touchdowns through four games this season. He left Sunday’s loss to the Rams with a hamstring injury and did not practice Wednesday or Thursday.
Ferreira wrote that the bar in Green Bay for star trades is high after the Micah Parsons deal. Age and the running back position remain points of contention.
He also listed the obstacles. The clubs are NFC rivals. Roseman is a difficult negotiator. General manager Brian Gutekunst has been reluctant to overpay.
Even so, Ferreira wrote that if Green Bay is still in the race at the deadline and Philadelphia is not, the front office could look at Barkley as a difference-maker for an offense that has not run the ball well.
