Eagles' Saquon Barkley hints NFL retirement will be sudden and come 'out of nowhere'
After eclipsing the 2,000-yard rushing mark during the 2024 regular season, Saquon Barkley was named the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 26."
Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason. His historic first year in Philly earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. By all accounts, the 28-year-old will enter the 2025 season in the prime of his career. However, the star running back recently hinted that when he does eventually step away from the game, it could be sudden.
During a recent appearance on former NFL player Chris Long's "Green Light Podcast," Barkley was asked if he would step away while he was still at the peak of his career or if he would stick around.
"I'll probably [be] one of those guys that it would be out of nowhere," Barkley responded in reference to his eventual retirement. "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.' I don't think I will ever lose that passion."
Barkley then cited Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders' shocking decision to walk away from the NFL in 1998.
"The competitive nature is always going to be there. I like, probably my favorite player of all time is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that. Maybe one day, like it'll be out of nowhere, I'll probably be ballin', and just be like, 'Yeah, call it quits.'"
Sanders racked up 15,269 career rushing yards before he abruptly retired. He needed less than 1,500 yards to catch up to Walter Payton's then all-time rushing record. Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith currently sits atop the league's all-time list.
The Eagles rewarded Barkley's productive 2024 campaign with a lucrative two-year contract extension. Barkley entered the 2025 campaign with 7,216 career rushing yards and was a key part of the Eagles' run to the Super Bowl LIX title.
Barkley is credited with seven NFL seasons, while Sanders played a total of 10 years in the league.
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