Austin Ekeler name-drops Saquon Barkley while speaking out against NFL’s treatment of RBs

"We're not just numbers on a page, we're actual players. We all have different impacts on each team. It is very situational," Ekeler stated on Thursday, via Joe Reedy of the the Associated Press. "One of those things that we can do in the short-term is to continue to put the narrative out of why we are important.”

To further drive home his take, Ekeler used New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley as a glaring example of a player whose contract pales in comparison to his high-end on-field production.  

"If you go into that organization and ask ‘How crucial is Saquon Barkley to the success of this offense?’ It’s going to be pretty significant," Ekeler said. "We're the only position right now that seems to be getting punished for our production."

Barkley, 26, is coming off a Pro Bowl 2022 campaign where he finished fourth in the NFL with 1,312 rushing yards, marking a new career-high. His 352 touches ranked third in the NFL and were 278 more than the next closest skill player on the Giants roster (Matt Breida - 74). 

Yet despite Barkley's lofty production, the Penn State product failed to land a long-term deal with the Giants this offseason, ultimately settling to sign an adjusted franchise tag worth $10.1M with $909K in available incentives and a $2 million signing bonus. 

Unfortunately for Barkley, Ekeler and the running back community as a whole, their contract situation is unlikely to improve barring drastic alterations to the collective bargaining agreement.