Saquon Barkley Reveals His NFL Retirement Plan Ahead of Eagles’ 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in dominant fashion. Now, with the majority of their roster returning, they’ll look to go back-to-back.
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A key piece back in the building—and who signed an extension this offseason—is running back Saquon Barkley.
He’s coming off a career year in which he led the NFL in rushing yards and set the Eagles’ single-season rushing record in his first year with the team. His standout season has also earned him the honor of being named the cover athlete for Madden 26 this week.
Barkley clearly has plenty of football left in him, but during a recent appearance on “Green Light with Chris Long,” he shared how he plans to approach retirement when the time comes—revealing that it may resemble the quiet, unexpected exit of NFL legend Barry Sanders.
“I’ll probably be one of those guys where it’ll 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 be like, it’s over. I don’t think I’ll ever lose that passion; that competitive nature is always going to be there. My favorite player of all time is Barry Sanders, so probably similar to that. Maybe one day, it’ll be out of nowhere—I’ll be balling and call it quits.”
Barkley was drafted by the New York Giants in 2018, and while it doesn’t feel that long ago that he was hurdling defenders at Penn State and dominating the Big Ten, he’s now entering his eighth season in the NFL.
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If his career mirrors that of the legendary Barry Sanders—who played just 10 seasons but made the Pro Bowl every year—then Barkley may not be too far from considering a similar timeline.
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon BarkleyStephen Lew-Imagn Images
That said, his deep love for the game is obvious, and after signing a contract extension this offseason, he’s now the highest-paid running back in the league. His deal runs through 2028, which means if he plays out the full contract, NFL fans will still get to watch him for at least four more seasons.
Related: ‘Impressive!’ Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Praises Saquon Barkley
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.