SUMMARY
- Saquon Barkley has recently joined the Philadelphia Eagles.
- During a podcast episode, Saquon Barkley tried to convince Jason Kelce to come out of retirement.
Saquon Barkley recently joined the Philadelphia Eagles from the New York Giants, but unfortunately, he arrived after Jason Kelce’s retirement and lost the opportunity to share the dressing room. Arriving at the Eagles, Barkley attempted to convince Kelce to break his retirement and play a season with him.
Barkley joined the Giants via the 2018 NFL draft. The running back was an indispensable warrior for the Giants and made a great contribution to the franchise. With the Giants, the running back participated in 74 games, contributed 1,201 rushing attempts, covered 5,211 yards, and scored 35 touchdowns.
Kelce was a superstar in the NFL for the Eagles and guided the franchise to a Super Bowl LII triumph. The former center’s contribution to the game made him an iconic figure, so it’s quite usual for a player like Barkley to ask for a chance to share the dressing room.
Saquon Barkley tried to break Jason Kelce’s retirement to play with him
If the running back’s transfer to the Eagles happened just one season ago, then he should have had the opportunity to spend time closely with Kelce. However, the running back tried to make Kelce come out of retirement.
Saquon Barkley trying to get Jason Kelce out of retirement to play with him on the #Eagles next season!
(Via @newheightshow)pic.twitter.com/Vn3CEzNfzm
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 27, 2024
Barkley said while having a conversation with the Kelce brothers, “I’m like a kid in a candy store. I’m happy, I got a fresh start, I can’t wait to meet everybody and just go out there and play ball.” Jason Kelce responded that it would be so much fun and great to be a part of watching Barkley play for the Eagles.
But Barkley said, “You don’t gotta watch it, you know?” From Barkley’s statement, it’s evident that he took a cold approach to convincing the center to change his mind. If Kelce changes his mind at any point, then it’s evident that the Eagles’ door is always open for him.
When and why did Jason Kelce retire?
Jason Kelce said an emotional goodbye to the NFL by ending his 13-year spell in the league. On March 4, 2024, Kelce decided to quit the game. The former Eagles center announced the heartbreaking news in front of the press in the presence of close ones, including his brother Travis Kelce.
Kelce, at the time of his retirement, said, “My elbow and my knees, it’s just gotten to the point where deterioration and the recovery from the deterioration hasn’t really manifested on game day yet, but I know it’s gonna start doing that.”
Reports also suggest the cause of retirement was something he had been preparing for the past few years, as he used to say he knew when it was time. Hence, he said, “I know it’s time. I’ve had a really good run.” Hence, he decided to hang his helmet.