Houston Texans fail to sign Saquon Barkley, hindering their offseason in the process

The perfect player for the Houston Texans is no more, as the Philadelphia Eagles have landed Saquon Barkley with a three-year deal, worth $37.75 million over the life of the contract. The deal could be worth up to $47.5 million according to PIX11, who is also reporting that he will get $26 million in guaranteed money. The Texans were apparently very aggressive in trying to sign Barkley on March 11, but for whatever reason they apparently weren't willing to match the figure that the Eagles offered.

There were rumors abound that claimed Barkley favored the Eagles due to the opportunity to play against the Giants twice in a season, as well as the increased money that the Eagles gave him. While it's unsure at press time what the Texans were offering, one would have to think that if the team gave him the same deal as the Eagles, he'd be with the Texans, simply due to how much bonding Barkley had with quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The two really formed a friendship and it seemed like Houston was his preferred landing choice. All Houston had to do was not fumble the offseason, and that's exactly what they did. Barkley was one of the rare players in free agency would really move the needle as far as expectations in 2024. He improved the Texans' offense not just with his ability to run the ball, but also with his ability to catch it. Arguably making him the second-best all-around running back in the league behind Christian McCaffery.

Now, the Texans have to make a decision; make a run at someone like Derrick Henry, a veteran with promise who is still on the open market, bring back Devin Singletary and run it back next year, or go fishing for a rookie to upgrade the position in the NFL Draft.