Run it back | Sports Daily Newsletter

If you haven’t bought your Saquon Barkley jersey yet, now’s the time, Philadelphia, because No. 26 is here to stay.

On Tuesday, the Eagles agreed to terms with the star running back on a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of more than $20 million. The extension will make him the highest-paid running back in NFL history on a yearly basis, besting Christian McCaffrey’s $19 million annual salary with the San Francisco 49ers, the previous record at the position.

The extension, which is valued at $41.2 million and includes $36 million fully guaranteed, is a hefty reward after Barkley’s standout season, in which he set the single-season franchise record for rushing yards. After six seasons with the Giants, Barkley reached his full potential in his first year with the Eagles.

He’ll be one of several key pieces of the offense under contract through the 2028 season, joining a group that includes Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Jordan Mailata, DeVonta Smith, and Landon Dickerson.

The three-time Pro Bowler reacted to the news on social media, saying “Overflow! Grateful for the Eagles Organization, grateful for my team, grateful for the amazing fans in Philly. Fly Eagles Fly.”

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, [email protected].

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Zack Wheeler struggled in two innings of work in a Grapefruit League loss to the Yankees on Tuesday, but two other pitchers had encouraging outings. At the plate, left fielder Max Kepler hit his first home run of the spring, on the first pitch he saw in the second inning.

Despite a lack of velocity, Ranger Suárez pitched two scoreless innings and had sharp command in his spring training debut. His focus over the offseason had been improving his changeup, and he generated three whiffs on the eight he threw Tuesday.

Also, the Phillies sent their top position prospects, Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford, to minor league camp.

The Eagles intend on releasing defensive back James Bradberry, according to league sources, confirming an NFL Network report. The veteran cornerback was sidelined for the entire season on injured reserve after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in August. The move comes one day after we learned that the Eagles are releasing cornerback Darius Slay.

The team is shifting a toward a younger secondary, which includes Quinyon Mitchell, whose path to the NFL came with challenges and struggles. He lost his scholarship to Florida months before graduating from Williston High School when his grades dipped, but Mitchell refused to give up on his dream. His father, Quentin, who sparked the journey, watched it unfold from prison. But that didn’t limit his impact.

With the Sixers coming down the stretch of a miserable lost season, it is reasonable to wonder if this era of the franchise is finished. However, there are examples of successful teams that slogged through what turned out to be one-year hiccups. The Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies may have the blueprint on how the Sixers can claw out of an injury-riddled season.

And while Joel Embiid is out for the season, Andre Drummond has been making the most of his playing time. The 31-year-old center, who’s playing in his 13th NBA season, says he hopes to “[show] that I still am effective.”

With no Tyrese Maxey nor Justin Edwards in the lineup, the Sixers ran out of gas in the fourth quarter in Minnesota, losing 126-112 to the Timberwolves for their 13th loss in the last 15 games.

Since being selected by the Flyers as first-round draft picks in 2017 and 2018, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee had called only one place home: Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, they entered the Wells Fargo Center as visitors for the first time since being traded to the Calgary Flames at the end of January. While both have fond memories with the Flyers, they admitted the experience was “a little bit weird” looking across at the Orange and Black and competing against so many close friends.

While the Flyers traded Frost and Farabee earlier this season, the team may not be done. In Part 2 of her interview with GM Danny Brière, Jackie Spiegel asked Brière about “big-game hunting” and tried to get to the bottom of what’s going on with Aleksei Kolosov.

Frost and Farabee’s Calgary squad jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against the Flyers in the first period, and never looked back as the Flames snapped the Orange and Black’s five-game point streak.

Who was the last Eagles cornerback to be named a first-team All-Pro?

C) Lito Sheppard in 2004

What a Run! traces the remarkable journey that was the 2024 campaign, from Saquon Barkley’s 2,000-yard breakout season in his first year in Philly to Vic Fangio’s formidable defense to the exhilarating playoff wins against the Packers, Rams, and Commanders that paved the way for revenge against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Featuring electrifying stories and photos from The Inquirer, this commemorative book takes fans from Week 1 in São Paulo, all the way to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans. What a Run! is available at Barnes & Noble, on Amazon, and at other retail outlets. Or you can order your copy here.

We asked: Where does Darius Slay rank among the Eagles’ all-time great cornerbacks? Among your responses:

Another tough question. Unless the current player is so above everything such as Saquon, I find it hard sometimes to judge a current player fairly because I come to think of those really great ones from the past as legends. Everything in life is debatable of course, but most rankings of Eagle cornerbacks rate Eric Allen, Troy Vincent, Sheldon Brown, Lito Shepard, and Bobby Taylor as the top five. Slay has done a great job and could certainly be included in the top ten. I would like to see him stay if he is not offered more elsewhere. Of course my two all time favorite Eagle defensive backs Brian Dawkins and Malcolm Jenkins were not cornerbacks. — Everett S.

Hope it’s not another case like when the Eagles released Brian Dawkins. Took them years to recover. — Bill M.

Slay played well for the Eagles, helping them shore up a porous secondary several years ago, which was a key to becoming a perennial contender in these years. But he was no better than the fifth or sixth best all time Eagles CB. I have to say that he slots behind Eric Allen, Troy Vincent, Lito Sheppard, Bobby Taylor, and Asante Samuel. When the old timers are considered, Irv Cross was outstanding in years when the Eagles were not so good. and it must be said that Quinyon Mitchell in one year looks like the real deal, assuming he stays healthy for the next ten years or more. Slay came over from the Lions well regarded, and showed he deserved it, but he is up against a long line of excellent CBs. with exception of Samuel, all of the others were good in coverage and were harder hitting tacklers than Slay. He would still be an asset for one more year, probably as a backup, if he would accept less money. — John W.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Gabriela Carroll, Gina Mizell, Lochlahn March, Alex Coffey, Aaron Carter, Jackie Spiegel, Matt Breen, Olivia Reiner, Keith Pompey, Ariel Simpson, and Owen Hewitt.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading! Kerith will be in your inbox for tomorrow’s newsletter. — Bella