Sources: Eagles make Barkley NFL's top-paid RB

PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles are rewarding star running back Saquon Barkley for his historic season with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal, which includes $36 million guaranteed at signing, makes Barkley the NFL's first $20 million-plus per-year running back. He also has the ability to earn an additional $15 million in incentives and escalators.

Barkley had one of the best seasons by a running back all-time. He rushed for 2,504 yards over the course of the regular season and the playoffs, setting a new single-season record previously held by Terrell Davis, while leading his new team on a Super Bowl run.

He had a chance to take down Eric Dickerson's regular-season rushing title as well, but the team decided to rest its starters in the finale against Barkley's former team, the New York Giants, leaving him 101 yards shy of Dickerson's mark of 2,105 yards.

Barkley's unprecedented success prompted the Eagles to take the rare step of extending a player one year into his deal -- and in the same league year in which they signed him to the initial contract.

In March, the Eagles made a splash by inking Barkley to a three-year, $38 million contract. That seemed out of character for Philadelphia, which hasn't always been willing to allocate significant resources to the running back position.

But with running back salaries largely depressed across the league relative to other skill positions, the Eagles identified an inefficiency in the marketplace, and believed Barkley would be revitalized by joining a team with more complementary players around him compared to what he experienced in New York.

Entering last offseason, the top-paid back in the league, Christian McCaffrey, was making $16 million a year on average. There were a total of just six running backs making more than $10 million a year, including Barkley at $13 million.

Meanwhile, there were 16 wide receivers averaging 20-plus million per season while another 13 players stood at $10 million or more, including some that aren't the primary receiving option on their squad.

"Has the pendulum swung so far at this position -- I mean, the guy touches the ball 300 times a year, hopefully," Roseman said last March. "There's not a lot of other skill position players that are touching the ball that many times and having that effect."

With this deal, the pendulum could swing back some in favor of running backs.

Barkley, 28, has rushed for 7,216 yards over seven seasons with the Giants and Eagles with 48 touchdowns. He was named to his third Pro Bowl this season, was selected first-team All-Pro and was selected as the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year.