NEW ORLEANS — Eagles fans sure hope Saquon Barkley isn’t ready to hang up his cleats any time soon. But when he does, Barkley has huge aspirations.
The All-Pro running back told Jeff McLane on unCovering the Birds that he hopes to become the next Michael Strahan, to work on TV outside of just traditional football coverage.
“I want to be the next Michael Strahan,” Barkley said. “Besides being a New York Giant for his whole career and living that part, but on Fox on Sundays talking about ball, still having that side. But then also on Good Morning America, crossover. I want to do that stuff. That’s something I want to do.”
Since he was drafted by the Giants in 2018, Barkley has counted Strahan as a mentor both on the field and off. He has reached out to the Pro Football Hall of Famer with questions about playoff football, being a member of the Giants, and more. Even though the running back has left the Giants, Strahan still has Barkley’s back. “Thanks for taking care of Saquon for us!” Strahan told Jalen Hurts during a November appearance on Good Morning America.
“When he was with the Giants, he’d come over to the house, have dinner, talk,” Strahan, 53, said Thursday. “Still to this day, being with Philadelphia doesn’t change my relationship with him. I still text him, I still talk to him. I still encourage him.”
In addition to his work with Fox Sports, Strahan hosted Live! With Kelly and Michael and currently hosts Good Morning America and The $100,000 Pyramid on ABC. But Strahan is excited about the prospect of Barkley taking on TV hosting roles of his own.
“By the time he’s ready to retire, I’m ready for him to have them, so I’ll recommend Saquon Barkley for Michael’s jobs,” Strahan said. “… He’s always been a guy who says, ‘I’m gonna reach out, I want to learn,’ and he’s done that. A lot of guys say that, but then they don’t follow up. I know he can do it. I have no doubt he can do it, and when he’s ready, I’ll be ready to retire.”