Saquon Barkley takes inspiration from his all-time favorite player and Hall of Fame running back, Barry Sanders.
However, Eagles fans might not be keen on the inspiration Barkley discussed recently.
Barkley hinted on the “Green Light” podcast hosted by former Eagle Chris Long that, much like Sanders, his retirement could catch everyone by surprise.
“Maybe one day, like it will be out of nowhere,” Barkley said on the episode that went live on Tuesday. “I’ll probably be ballin’ and just be like ‘Yeah, call it quits.’”
Sanders famously retired in 1999 at the age of 31, just two years after being named the NFL MVP in 1997.
Even in his final season, Sanders still put up impressive statistics: in 1998, he finished fourth in rushing yards with just under 1,500 yards.
Even with those numbers, Sanders still decided to call it a career.
Barkley is coming off one of the best seasons any running back has had.
The 28-year-old led the league in rushing with 2,005 yards, a historic season that earned him 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Barkley’s contributions to the Eagles’ season culminated in their second-ever Super Bowl victory — and his jaw-dropping reverse hurdle landed him the vaunted cover of EA Sports’ “Madden NFL 26.”
In March, he inked a two-year, $41.2 million deal to become the NFL’s first running back to break the $20 million-per-year mark to keep him in the Philly fold through the 2028 season.
While the situation — coupled with his comments to Long — might mirror Sanders’ situation a little too closely for some, there’s no reason to panic just yet.
Barkley is already preparing for his follow-up.
“(The) 2025 season has nothing to do with the 2024 season,” Barkley said. “You just focus on the things that got you there. Like I said, you know the recipe, but it doesn’t matter what happened a year prior.”
At least, not until next year, when his retirement comments undoubtedly pop up again.
