Saquon Barkley's historic season earned him the cover of Madden NFL 26, but Eagles fans might want to make an extra effort to ensure they don't take him for granted.
Barkley spoke about his long-term outlook during an appearance on the Chris Long's Green Light Podcast and delivered a surprising answer that might make the Philadelphia faithful squirm.
"That's a great question," Barkley said after he was asked if he would retire at the top of his game or go until the wheels came off. "I'll probably [be] one of those guys that it would 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. I don't think I will ever lose that passion.
"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."
As soon as Barkley said he might retire unexpectedly, visions of Sanders' retirement likely filled the minds of those processing his response. Sanders walked away from a stellar NFL career without warning in 1998, exiting the sport with 15,269 career rushing yards, less than 1,500 yards shy of Walter Payton's then all-time record. With the passage of time, Sanders fell down the leaderboard to fourth behind Emmitt Smith (18,355), Frank Gore (16,000) and Payton.
Sanders' retirement was shocking because he was an elite runner when he decided to hang up his turf shoes. The same would be true for Barkley, who enters 2025 after breaking 2,000 rushing yards and winning Super Bowl LIX in his first season with the Eagles, a performance worthy of a two-year extension worth $41.2 million in new money.
Such a commitment comes with the expectation Barkley will remain near the top of the sport for years to come. But Barkley's response suggested those years might never arrive.
With 7,216 career rushing yards, Barkley is nowhere near Sanders' career totals. He's also still three seasons shy of the 10-year mark Sanders reached when he called it quits and has four years remaining on his deal with Philadelphia.
Eagles fans will repeat these facts to themselves when attempting to drift off to sleep without concern. But hearing Barkley candidly admit his football life might not last as long as most expect will worry those who are still basking in the glow of Philadelphia's dominant win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX.
The Madden cover star isn't retiring tomorrow. But as Barkley indicated with his response, enjoy him while he's around.
