Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley just became the highest-paid running back in NFL history with a historic two-year contract extension, prompting his fiancée, Anna Congdon, to celebrate on social media.
The Eagles announced the extension on March 4, with both sides agreeing to a two-year deal worth $41.2 million in new money, according to NFL Network. The contract includes $36 million guaranteed — the most ever by a running back on a contract of three years or less — with an additional $15 million in incentives.
Barkley has been on a remarkable career trajectory.
After signing a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles in free agency last March, following six years with the Giants, he went on to have his best season yet.
The 28-year-old tallied a league-high 2,005 rushing yards on 345 carries with 13 rushing touchdowns. He set a new rushing record for a regular season and playoffs combined with 2,504 yards, surpassing Terrell Davis.
His achievements earned him the Offensive Player of the Year award, an All-Pro selection, and a Pro Bowl nod in 2024. The former first-round pick capped off his record-breaking year by winning his first Super Bowl title with Philadelphia on Feb. 9, which happened to be his 28th birthday. Barkley and his team dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in a 40-22 victory in New Orleans.
The Bronx native shared the news on his Instagram with the caption: “Overflow! Grateful for the Eagles Organization , grateful for my team, grateful for the amazing fans in Philly. Fly Eagles Fly.”
His fiancée hopped under the post and wrote in the comment section with an enthusiastic “Let Jesus cook!” complete with heart and prayer hand emojis.
Congdon also shared her excitement by reposting a snapshot of Barkley and his agent, Edward Berry at CAA, hugging on the sideline.
But while Congdon rejoiced over the massive payday, some social media users had very different reactions to the news.
Throughout Barkley’s success, Congdon and their two children — daughter Jada Clare, 6, and son Saquon Barkley Jr., 2 — have been by his side, even joining him on the field at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans during February’s Super Bowl celebrations.
But as news of Barkley’s massive contract extension spread, New York Post readers wasted no time sharing their opinions about what this might mean for his relationship.
“Saquon get that prenup ready,” one person bluntly commented.
Another user wrote, “I’m sure of two things. Anna is very pleased and…..over time, she will convert those ‘tens’ of millions to ‘hundreds’ of millions.”
“Will she be saying ‘Let Jesus Cook’ when all the long-lost relatives and fake friends show up begging for a Handout,” said one commenter.
The commentary didn’t stop there. Another person tweeted, “Guess it translates in every language to we don’t need a prenup.”
The couple’s relationship has drawn attention in the past, particularly when controversial social media posts from Congdon’s teens resurfaced. The tweets, dating between 2012 and 2013 when Congdon was around 13 years old, contained racial slurs and inappropriate references. These posts first made headlines in 2018, prompting Congdon to delete much of her Twitter history before 2015.
Congdon, 26, has been a constant presence throughout Barkley’s NFL career. She recently celebrated his NFC championship victory with an Instagram post, writing, “If I could wrap my arms around this memory, I would…”
As Barkley continues to make NFL history with his record-breaking performance and now his historic contract, the spotlight on his personal life is unlikely to dim anytime soon. Whether the couple’s relationship will be impacted by the unsolicited opinion from social media remains to be seen, but one thing is certain — Barkley’s bank account, much like his rushing yards, has reached unprecedented heights.
