Saquon Barkley Walked into the NFL Draft with a Financial Plan and a Promise to Fulfill
Over the years, NFL stars have shared their experiences of quickly blowing through their rookie paychecks. It is easy to see how it could happen. The excitement of a large paycheck could easily get the best of a young adult earning money for the first time. Travis Kelce and several others have admitted to largely wasting their first paychecks. Saquon Barkley was different, though. He entered the NFL draft with his eye on the prize and a plan to make his money grow.
How much did Saquon Barkley make as an NFL rookie?
Saquon Barkley was a heavily hyped prospect coming into the 2018 NFL draft. His paycheck matched that. He signed his rookie contract with the New York Giants in July 2018 after being drafted second overall. The deal was worth $31.2 million over four years, fully guaranteed, including a $20.8 million signing bonus.
Barkley became a free agent in 2023 and was quickly picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles. A $41 million contract extension that he signed with the Eagles this year makes him the highest-paid running back in the NFL at the moment. While the NFL paychecks are pretty hefty, he’s not slowing down on the endorsements. He pulls in a lot of cash from endorsements, too, and that’s how he hoped it would play out. It was actually part of his financial plan as far back as 2018.
Saquon Barkley had a financial plan before he was even drafted
Saquon Barkley was just 21 when he was drafted by the New York Giants. His college career, with the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions, was filled with on-the-field success, and there was no reason to think his NFL career wouldn’t go the same way. Still, Barkley didn’t want to squander his opportunity to make significant money and set himself and his family up for life. He headed into the draft with a solid financial plan.
According to Inc., Barkley was vocal about wanting to invest his NFL paycheck to build generational wealth. He said he planned to bank all of his NFL money and live solely off of endorsement deals. He built a team around him that would help him make that plan a reality. Barkley entered the draft with financial advisors and the backing of a team at Roc Nation Sports. So far, he has made good on that plan and even fulfilled a promise he made many years ago.
Saquon Barkley fulfilled a childhood promise with his NFL contract
While the elite running back had a financial plan heading into the NFL draft, he also knew he was going to spend on something big right away. Saquon Bkarlry once told ESPN that he has been promising to buy his mother a home since the time he could talk. He insists that he knows it sounds crazy, but it was a dream of his from an early age to care for his parents, and he made good on that promise the year he was drafted. The first purchase he made was a home for his parents in Whitehall, Pennsylvania.
According to Realtor, the four-bedroom home is not far from where Barkley was raised, and cost the running back over $425,000. Now, the home is worth around $700,000. Barkely grew up in Coplay, Pennsylvania, less than two miles down the road from Whitehall. Barkley grew up in the area, but he wasn’t born in Pennsylvania. He was born in the Bronx, New York. His family moved to Pennsylvania for a quieter, safer life when the athlete was four. The NFL star attended Whitehall High School.
