Nick Sirianni on Saquon Barkley’s retirement talk: He’s got a lot of good football left

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is coming off the best season of his career, but he’s already musing about dropping the curtain on his playing days.

Barkley recently referenced Barry Sanders while saying that he thinks he will retire “out of nowhere” and said that the decision could come “next year or [in] two years or four years.” Barkley signed an extension with the Eagles this offseason that runs through 2028, so a decision to stop playing would have a significant impact on their plans.

On Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about his reaction to Barkley’s comments.

“Yeah, I guess anybody could do that, right? I just know he’s got a lot of good football left in him,” Sirianni said, via a transcript from the team. “Again, I have interactions with these guys every single day and I’m excited that he’s on our football team and he’ll be on our football team for the 2025 season and I really don’t let myself get wrapped up into anything else beyond that, except for the day that we’re in and trying to get ready for this practice and obviously handle all those things as they come. Yeah, as long as I’m the head coach here, I’d always want to Saquon Barkley on this football team. Obviously it means a lot to this football team and as a player and as a teammate.”

Sanders had a lot of good football left in him when he walked away from the Lions after 10 years, so that’s not necessarily going to play a role in Barkley’s plans. For now, though, Sirianni and the Eagles can feel confident that Barkley will be back for his eighth NFL season.