Travis Kelce Calls Out Eagles for Loopholes in Saquon Barkley's New Contract

Saquon Barkley's blockbuster contract with the Philadelphia Eagles is the talk of the NFL town, but not everyone's impressed. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has picked apart the fine print, and let's just say he's not holding back.

On the latest episode of his podcast, "New Heights," co-hosted with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis called out the Eagles for loading Barkley's deal with a laundry list of incentives. While the two-year, $41.2 million deal makes Barkley the highest-paid running back in NFL history, not all of that cash is guaranteed. Only $36 million is locked in, with the rest—$15 million—dangling as incentive-based bonuses.

Kelce's reaction? Pure disbelief. "Eww," he said. "I don't like that one bit... Does he have to get a 2,000-yard season every year?" Ouch.

The exact details of Barkley's new incentive clauses are still under wraps, but his previous contract with the Eagles included benchmarks like first-team All-Pro honors, rushing for 1,000 and 1,500 yards, and playoff victories. Barkley managed to cash in on all of these last year, boasting 2,005 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, and even leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over Kelce's Chiefs. Impressive? Yes. But Kelce isn't sold on the idea of team success being tied to individual earnings.

"So you have to rely on someone's vote to get your incentive?" Kelce fumed. "That's messed up." Strong words, but he’s got a point—why should a player’s paycheck be tied to factors beyond their control, like team performance or awards voted on by others?

Despite the critique, Barkley's performance last season was nothing short of stellar, setting the bar high for what he'll bring to the table in the next two years. But whether the nuances of this deal turn into a win-win or a tricky trade-off remains to be seen.