Saquon Barkley says his eventual retirement will probably be 'out of nowhere'
Saquon Barkley isn't hanging up his cleats yet, but don't expect to have a warning before he does.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back dazzled during his first season in the City of Brotherly Love, playing a big role in delivering the second Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
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During the June 4th episode of the "Green Light with Chris Long" podcast, Barkley made a different headline this time after he was asked about retirement.
The former Eagles defensive end, Long, posed the question about how the star running back will one day walk away from the game.
"I'll probably be one of those guys that it'll be out of nowhere," Barkley said. "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.'"
While it seems unlikely that retirement could come in the near future for Barkley, it could sound alarms in Philadelphia given the recent run of players calling it an early career. Most recently, it was 29-year-old Frank Ragnow that opted for retirement. The now-former Detroit Lions center was arguably the best in the sport at his position, but said he plans to prioritize is health now.
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In terms of passion for the game, however, Barkley doesn't envision losing that anytime soon.
"I don't think I will ever lose that passion," Barkley said. "I'm just a competitor."
He added that the competitive nature will always be there, but likened his eventual retirement to Barry Sanders, who shockingly stepped away from the game after just 10 seasons. The Lions Hall of Fame running back retired at age 30.
"One of my favorite players of all time, probably my favorite player of all time, is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that," Barkley said. "Maybe one day it'll be out of nowhere. I'll probably be ballin' and just be like, yeah, call it quits."
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Barkley has certainly achieved plenty in his career to this point. He has won a Super Bowl and was named an All-Pro, the Offensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and selected to the Pro Bowl three times. In 2024, he was just 101 yards away from setting the NFL's all-time single season rushing record.
Despite that lengthy list of accomplishments, Barkley is still just 28 and only has seven seasons under his belt. If Barkley is using Sanders as a reference, that means he feels he still has some unfinished business – even if he's already checked off most of the boxes.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saquon Barkley retirement? RB says it'll be 'out of nowhere'
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