Saquon Barkley's victory tour over the last few months has been something to behold for Philadelphia Eagle fans across the country.
Since winning Super Bowl LIX, and setting a new record for rushing yards in a single season including the playoffs, Barkley has gone on multiple talk shows, signed the richest contract in league history for his position, and has now teased a timeline for his retirement.
Woof.
Speaking on Chris Long's Green Light Podcast this week, Barkley talked about when he could eventually call it a career.
"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.
"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."
Barkley's comments shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. First, the fact he mentioned Sanders' name is extremely relevant. The Detroit Lions Hall-of-Famer retired at the age of 31. Barkley is current 28. The final three years of his current deal with Philadelphia will take him to 31.
It makes a lot of sense.
There's another part to this, though, that Barkley didn't mention. Sanders went out as a Pro Bowl and All-Pro player. He didn't have the amount of injuries that Barkley has gone through (Barkley has suffered a torn ACL and neck sprain).
Could Barkley, running behind Philadelphia's elite offensive line, choose to retire before more injuries begin to pile up? It is certainly plausible.
Barkley won't be calling it a career this season, though. He's looking to help the Eagles repeat as Super Bowl champions.
And so long as Philly's offensive line remains in tact, the team should be perfectly set for another title run with their star running back.