Saquon Barkley silences the panic born from his recent retirement comments
Sometimes, statements are made, and it's almost like time stands still. Many have been studied in history. "That's one giant leap for mankind"... "I have a dream"... "Give me liberty or give me death"... The Philadelphia Eagles have a few as well.
Quotes heard by great sports stars won't be placed in the same category, but they were just as impactful when we first heard them. "We all we got. We all we need"... "Hungry dogs run faster"... "I had a purpose before anyone had an opinion"...
Recently, seemingly out of nowhere, we heard another. We all love Saquon Barkley, but we didn't like what he said. In a conversation with fellow fan-favorite Chris Long, 'Saquads' discussed his mortality and possible retirement: "I'll probably be one of those guys that (will announce retirement) 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."
Hold on a doggone second! Where in the heck did that come from?
Everyone knows good things don't last forever. At some point, Saquon will call it a career, but he's only played one year in green. He can't hang up the cleats already!
Everyone's been waiting to hear from him ever since. Following Philadelphia's mandatory minicamp practice, that opportunity finally came.
Saquon Barkley clears up the retirement confusion
Philadelphia's mandatory minicamp session came later in the afternoon, after 2 pm EST. Head coach Nick Sirianni met with the media. Attendance at the ensuing Eagles practice was 100%. Players spoke with the media afterward. First up was Saquon Barkley.
Though none of the questions he asked were surprising, it did come as a shock that it took so long to get to the retirement question. Eventually, he was finally asked about what he said, and thank goodness, he offered an answer that should make every Eagles fan and media member smile from ear to ear.
Whew... That was close. There was hope that would be his answer. After all, he signed a three-year deal upon joining the Eagles. He signed a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that included $36 million guaranteed and up to $15 million more in incentives this past March.
Saquon has been a revelation. He makes one ask what might have been had he joined the Eagles sooner. We'll never know the answer to that question, but here's what we can bank on. We're overjoyed that he's on the roster now.
In just one season, he joined the 2,000-yard club, won the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year Award, and helped deliver another Lombardi Trophy. Everyone has gotten greedy. Everyone wants more. Fortunately, it looks like Birds fans everywhere will get that wish granted.
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