Earlier this month, Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley had the NFL world buzzing following comments about retiring. Ahead of the 2025 campaign, the superstar running back provided some assurances that he has a lot left in the tank.
It’s well documented that Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders is someone Barkley has long admired. While speaking with Chris Long on his Green Light podcast, he even hinted at ending his career abruptly similar to his idol.
“I’ll probably be one of those guys that it’ll be out of nowhere. I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s next year or two years or four years, and just be like, ‘Yeah it’s over,’” Barkley said.
On Tuesday, the Eagles began their mandatory minicamp like numerous teams across the league. Following the first day’s action, Barkley answered an array of questions from the media. As expected, his recent remarks about retirement came up. When asked about what he said on Long’s podcast, the Eagles back let the world know that he is career isn’t coming to a close anytime soon.
“I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon,” Barkley told reporters Tuesday.
Saquon Barkley: “I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon.” https://t.co/BOLHlMvZXH
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) June 10, 2025
This remark is music to the Eagles and their fans’ ears, as Barkley has become a foundational piece of the franchise. Last season, he departed from the New York Giants to find a new home in the NFC East. Barkley’s presence drastically raised the Eagles’ ceiling, and was a major factor in them capturing the second Super Bowl in franchise history.
Based on what we saw last season, Barkley is still more than capable of playing at a high level in the NFL. He had a historic start to his Eagles tenure, rushing for over 2,000 yards in the regular season. Barkley then followed that up by leading the postseason in both rushing yards (499) and touchdowns (5).
With the Eagles retaining most of their core, they are primed to be back in the title conversation in 2025. If they’re going to repeat as champions, they can’t have key contributors like Barkley already thinking about life after football. Luckily for them, he put to bed any notion of his retirement being on the horizon.
If Barkley does plan on having a similar career arc as Sanders, he still has three years to go before the thought of retirement becomes real. In the meantime, he’ll be looking to build off his career year in 2024 as he attempts to help Philly secure another championship.
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