A Packers-Eagles swap built around Saquon Barkley is the kind of idea that lives in the margins for a reason: it’s big, expensive and loaded with hurdles. Still, Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports laid it out Wednesday after Philadelphia moved interior lineman Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens, suggesting that the deal could at least crack open the door to a Barkley conversation.
The move that sparked the discussion sent Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Baltimore for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. It also came one day after right tackle Lane Johnson retired, adding another wrinkle to Philadelphia’s offensive line picture.
Ferreira’s core argument was simple: if the Eagles are not in contention by the Nov. 10 deadline, a 29-year-old Barkley could become the kind of player they’d be willing to move for draft capital before his value dips. He pointed out that general manager Howie Roseman has shown a willingness to buy and sell depending on where the team stands.
The money, at least on paper, is manageable for a team willing to swing big. Barkley is under contract through 2028 after his extension, and Ferreira wrote that an acquiring team would owe about $8 million for the rest of this season, roughly $16 million in 2027 that is mostly guaranteed, and a $19.2 million salary in 2028 that functions as a team option.
For Green Bay, the fit starts with a glaring need in the run game. After four weeks, Ferreira noted, the Packers rank ninth in run-block win rate but 32nd in rush expected points added, with MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks cited as part of the problem. Starter Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner’s exempt list with no clear timeline for a return this year, and slot receiver Jayden Reed is out for the season with a neck injury, which has put even more weight on the ground attack.
Ferreira also outlined a possible trade structure. In his version, Green Bay would land Barkley and a 2027 fifth-round pick, while Philadelphia would receive Jacobs, a 2027 third-round pick, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
He tied the idea to the 2022 Christian McCaffrey deal from Carolina to San Francisco, but said the price would be lower because of Barkley’s age. Jacobs being under contract through 2027, Ferreira wrote, could make the return more palatable for Philadelphia.
There’s also a familiar parallel between the two teams at the position. When the Eagles signed Barkley to a three-year, $39 million deal in 2024, the Packers responded with a four-year, $48 million contract for Jacobs. The average annual values were close, even if 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 said the bar for a star trade in Green Bay is especially high after the Micah Parsons deal, and he flagged both age and the running back position as sticking points. He also pointed to the obvious complications: the teams are NFC rivals, Roseman is a tough negotiator and Brian Gutekunst has not been eager to overpay.
Even with all that in the way, Ferreira’s bottom line was clear enough. If Green Bay is still in the hunt at the deadline and Philadelphia is not, Barkley could be viewed as the kind of difference-maker this offense has been missing.
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