Eagles' Saquon Barkley Reveals New 'Non-Retirement' Plan
We wrote it as soon as he said it.
Mostly, Saquon Barkley seems to just be thinking out loud and toying with the idea when he mentioned the notion of an early retirement, unintentionally crushing the hearts of Philadelphia Eagles fans who want this ride to go on forever.
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What was Barkley thinking?
Way back in July of 1999, Barry Sanders was at the top of his game and yet stunned the NFL by announcing his retirement after a stellar 10-year career with the Detroit Lions.
Sanders, who had made the Pro Bowl 10 times, was just 31 when he said goodbye.
Fast-forward to a few days ago.
"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.
Wait. What?
A bit of context is merited here.
It is during an interview with Chris Long on the latest edition of "The Green Light" podcast when the 28-year-old Barkley was asked if he is the kind of guy who might retire sooner rather than later.
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And then the surprising answer, which adds up to the idea Barkley might consider retiring as early as following this season.
At the same time, the superstar added, "I don't think I will ever lose that passion. I'm just a competitor. ... The competitive nature is always going to be there."
And now we know more.
Saquon met with the media on Wednesday and offered some clarity.
'I don't think I'll ever lose the passion for the game,' he said. 'The retiring thing, I think that caught a little fire on social media. I don't plan on retiring any time soon. The question was asked of me, and I don't have a set date, or how many years I want to play.
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"I would love to play this game as long as God lets me, and my body lets me, so that's really it.'
Good.
Barkley is coming off a spectacular season in which he became just the ninth player in league history to cross the 2,000-yard barrier as he hit 2,005 yards. ... and then won a Super Bowl.
Now he's married... on the Madden 26 cover... and the centerpiece of a team poised to win another one.
Oh, and he's just 28.
Maybe the idea popped into Saquon's mind because as he said, "One of my favorite players of all time, probably my favorite player of all time, is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that. Maybe one day it will be out of nowhere. I'll probably be ballin' and just be like, 'Yeah' and call it quits."
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But this week? What seems to be popping is his recognition that his Philadelphia Eagles have a grand chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
So, one more time with feeling?
'I don't plan on retiring anytime soon," Barkley said.
Related: Eagles' Saquon Barkley 'Believes in God,' Not 'Madden Curse'
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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