Saquon Barkley: I’ll Probably Be One Of Those Guys That Retires Out Of Nowhere

Barkley said it will probably be the latter, noting one of his favorite players was Lions RB Barry Sanders who shocked the league by retiring after 10 seasons. 

“I’ll probably be one of those guys that it would be out of nowhere,” Barkley said. “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, that competitive nature is always going to be there. …I’ll probably be balling and then be like yeah, call it quits.” 

It’s worth noting earlier retirements have become more commonplace, as players have more information about the health risks of playing football and are able to make generational money thanks to the rising salary cap. 

Barkley just signed a brand-new deal with the Eagles making him the highest-paid back in league history after a 2,000-yard rushing season in 2024. In total, he’s under contract through the 2028 season. 

Barkley, 27, was the second-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was entering the fourth year of a four-year, $31.19 million rookie deal with the Giants that included a $20.767 million signing bonus when the Giants picked up his fifth-year option. 

Barkley’s fifth-year option cost the Giants $7.22 million fully guaranteed for the 2022 season. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he was franchised at a sum of $10.09 million fully guaranteed. 

The Giants allowed Barkley to walk in 2023 and he signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles. After just a season, he signed a new two-year, $41 million extension with Philadelphia.  

In 2024, Barkley appeared in 16 games for the Eagles and rushed for 2,005 yards on 345 attempts with 13 touchdowns to go along with 33 receptions on 43 targets for 278 yards receiving and two more touchdowns.