Eagles' Saquon Barkley not concerned with career longevity at RB: Don't 'tell me how long I can play'

The rationalization against paying running backs significant amounts of money is due to concerns about their longevity. It is believed that younger, less expensive talent can provide comparable production.

From that perspective, new Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, at 27 years old, could be considered close to the back side of his career. Barkley would like to call hogwash on those questions about longevity.

“That’s [BS],” Barkley told EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer in a lengthy feature. “Marcus Allen played until he was 36, 37 years old. Some of the greats that I admire and I look up and study, they played well into their 30s. Barry (Sanders) left at 29, 30 and he left in his prime. It’s what you put in, what you put in is what you get out. That’s any position. There’s this weird thing with running backs right now. Is it a difficult position to play? Yes. Do you take wear and tear? Yes. But who are you or anyone else to tell me how long I can play the game? I call .

Once I decide something is done, it’s done for me. However, I believe if I continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle and make wise decisions, there will come a day, perhaps when I’m 32 or 33, when I will choose to retire, and I will, simply because I want to.

The physical strain inflicted by the running back position on players has prompted teams to adopt more committee approaches and avoid the 300-carry seasons, which have been shown to negatively impact most backs’ future performance.

Injuries at the position are commonplace, given the high usage and impact of collisions. Barkley dealt with an early career ankle sprain, a gruesome ACL tear early in Year 3 that took time to fully recover from, and another ankle sprain last season.

Barkley acknowledged that despite his best efforts to maintain his health and freshness, injuries, which can be unpredictable, are an inherent part of his job.

“Barkley admitted, “I’ve been striving to manage everything, thinking ‘I need to do this to prevent injury.’ However, I can’t control that. My three or four injuries in the NFL were mere accidents, completely unpreventable. That’s the reality of it–when people talk about my potential, they should know that once I’m on the field, I not only meet, but exceed those expectations.”

Barkley inked a three-year contract with the Eagles worth $37.75 million, taking him through his age-29 season. He’s set to hit free agency again as a 30-year-old, planning to produce beyond his current deal.

Barkley stated, “To me, it’s straightforward. I consider myself one of the best, if not the best, when I’m on the field. My challenge is to remain on the field. Thankfully, it’s not minor injuries like pulled hamstrings, but significant ones like a torn knee and two or three high ankle sprains that kept me off. My aspirations remain the same. The goals I have set for myself are still achievable. All I need to do is have faith in myself and put in the hard work. If it’s not meant to be, then it wasn’t in my destiny. But I’m going to strive every day to reach the peak.”