Odds are he's right.
What's so intriguing is how the final chapters of Staley's career with the Eagles have unfolded. By now, it has been well-documented that he has recovered nicely from his holdout, which lasted 26 days, and has won back the hearts and minds of the Eagles fans who shout his name at home and on the road. He has also impressed his teammates, who consider him a leader, and his coach, who was quietly annoyed by his holdout.
"It could have gone two different directions," Reid said. "It went the direction I thought it would and the direction Duce said it would. He has great natural leadership ability. He's just come in and done a nice job with it."
With Staley's Philadelphia story likely in its final chapter, the ending remains a mystery.
Will he leave after a trip to the Super Bowl?
Will he touch the ball a lot more with Brian Westbrook sidelined by a season-ending injury?
Will he improve his value on the free-agent market?
The postseason is a fascinating time for free agents, as player agent Leigh Steinberg knows well.
Steinberg, who formed a partnership with Staley's agent, Derrick Harrison, in the middle of this season, says that he thinks Staley will have plenty of value when he gets to the open market.
"I think he performed valiantly when he was called upon," Steinberg said. "I think he handled himself beautifully from a team standpoint. The other thing is the NFL probably heightened the role of the running back more than at any time in recent memory."
Add those factors to a strong playoff performance and Staley could be looking at a handsome payday in a couple of months.
"First of all, Duce's focus right now is on trying to help Philadelphia get to the Super Bowl," Steinberg said. "It's not on becoming a free agent. I haven't had a single discussion with Duce about being a free agent in the last couple of weeks.
