Well, Philadelphia Eagles fans might be able to sleep better at night knowing that their star running back doesn't appear to be retiring off to the golf courses anytime soon.
Last week, Barkley shocked the NFL world with his comments on Chris Long's podcast, Green Light with Chris Long, where he admitted that he could be one of those guys who retires early. Barkley mentioned former Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders as one of his heroes, who also retired early at 31.
After the Eagles completed their only day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, Barkley was asked about those comments. He made sure to clarify that he's not planning on going anywhere.
"Yeah, I don't think I'll ever lose the passion for the game and the retiring thing, I think that caught a little fire on social media. I don't plan on retiring anytime soon. I don't have a set date or how many years I want to play. I would love to play this game as long as God will let me and my body let me, so that's really it."
Barkley still has plenty in the tank to help the Eagles for years
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman hit his biggest home run of his career with the signing of Barkley last offseason, which became the missing piece to the Eagles' Super Bowl run. Barkley made Roseman look great after rushing for a league-high 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in 16 games.
During the postseason, Barkley added another 499 yards and five touchdowns to help the Eagles capture their second Super Bowl win in franchise history. Barkley finished with a Pro Bowl selection, a spot on the first-team All-Pro team, and was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Oh, and he broke the NFL record for rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs combined with 2,504 yards.
There isn't a running back who is more dynamic in the league right now than Barkley. The 28-year-old back can do it all, from breaking out big runs to helping in the passing game and also blocking for his quarterback, Jalen Hurts.
Barkley is the definition of what a team would want out of the player on the field, but also off the field. He's been a leader as he's the one that calms the team down on the sidelines and keeps them focus on finishing the game before celebrating.
Philadelphia has been blessed to have a gifted player and person represent their city like Barkley. The Eagles' fan base can only hope it will last for a long time.
