“Yeah, I guess anybody could do that, right?” That was Nick Sirianni’s casual response when asked about Saquon Barkley’s eyebrow-raising retirement comments. The moment hit like a gut punch for Eagles fans. Barkley—fresh off a 2,000-yard season, his first Super Bowl ring, and a $41.2 million extension—had just gone on Green Light with Chris Long and admitted he could “wake up one day and just decide I’m done.” For a team banking on him as its offensive engine, the words stung.
Especially now, because Barkley isn’t just talking about wear and tear, he’s feeling it. On Day One of camp, a tweet from Eagles beat reporters lit up X: “Saquon Barkley has been hit a few times today. Surprised the coaches don’t have a pretty strict ‘don’t hit Saquon’ rule.” One tweet, in particular, highlighted safety Reed Blankenship throwing Barkley to the ground, then sheepishly helping him up. It felt jarring. After all, this wasn’t a third-string rookie—this was the reigning Offensive Player of the Year taking full contact on the first day back. The session followed the annual “State of the Franchise” presser by Howie Roseman and Sirianni, where both spoke glowingly of the team’s playoff ambitions.
Saquon Barkley has been hit a few times today. Surprised the coaches don’t have a pretty strict “don’t hit Saquon” rule
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) July 29, 2025
But if the camp’s opening tone is any indication, Philly’s path to another deep run might be paved with risk right from the start.
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