“I’ll probably be one of those guys that it’ll be out of nowhere,” Barkley told Long, a former Eagles defensive end. “I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s next year, two years or four years, and just be like, ‘Yeah, it’s over.'”
Barkley then said Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders, one of his favorite players, retired during his prime. Before the 1999 season, Sanders, a former Detroit Lions star, retired at 31 despite coming off a season where he ran for 1,491 yards in 16 games.
It’s worth mentioning the Eagles RB signed a two-year, $41.2M contract extension on March 4.
Fantasy football players in dynasty leagues should take note of Barkley’s comments. Unlike regular fantasy leagues — where teams select new players each season — dynasty managers keep their rosters.
“The case for Barkley is simple. If you are competing, you are either holding or buying. If you are rebuilding, or soon will be, it’s time to distribute him,” The Athletic’s Jeff Haverlack said, via The Athletic’s Jess Bryant. “For reference, his trade value is currently a very high first-round rookie selection, in the neighborhood of 1.02.”
Las Vegas Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty or Los Angeles Chargers rookie RB Omarion Hampton may be available at that slot. Either could be a potential replacement for Barkley. Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards in 14 games at Boise State in 2024, while Hampton ran for 1,660 in 12 games at North Carolina.
Barkley rushed for a league-leading 2,005 yards on 345 carries in 16 regular-season games last season. Still, it makes little sense for a struggling fantasy team to keep him when he may retire within the next two seasons.
More importantly, now may be the time to sell high. Since 2010, Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry is the only player to lead the league in rushing yards in consecutive seasons. Henry ran for 1,540 yards in 15 games with the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and 2,027 in 16 games the following season.
