Here’s an interesting curveball for the New Orleans Saints offseason: a potential second sprint with running back Darren Sproles. Sproles said he would make a decision on a potential retirement, and he may not be ready to hang his cleats up just yet.

Per a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, who shared his insight during an appearance on Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic with hosts Marc Farzetta, Tra Thomas and Bob Cooney, Sproles may feel like he can still play at a high level.

Sproles had announced before the 2017 season that it would be his last. But when he suffered a season-ending injury that September, he decided to come back for another year, though it was again abbreviated because of an injury. And if the diminutive runner does come back for one more season — he’ll turn 36 in June — he’d like to do it in a familiar locker room.

“I think he wants to play,” Schefter said. “I think that it’s the kind of thing — he’s (living) out in California, and I think he’d like to go back to one of the teams he’s played for in the past. Whether that’s the Eagles, or the Saints or the Chargers.”

While those specific choices appear to be speculation on Schefter’s part, it does seem to be informed by some perspective from Sproles’ camp.

It makes sense that Sproles would want to return to a team he’s played for, though the Los Angeles Chargers played in San Diego when he was with them, and he hasn’t taken a snap for the Saints since 2013. But he was prolific in New Orleans (scoring 24 touchdowns as a runner, receiver and returner in just 48 games, including the playoffs), and remains close friends with quarterback Drew Brees.

“He wants to be in a competitive, winning situation,” Schefter continued. “He’s not in any rush to go do this. He’s done this long enough to know exactly what he needs to do to be ready. And I think at the appropriate time — if and when a team comes calling — that he will start listening to what they have to say. But right now it’s not like ‘I’ve got to be at OTAs in Philadelphia.’ Or ‘I’ve got to be at OTAs in New Orleans. And I have to go leave my family.’”

So if anything materializes here, it would be after an exercise in patience. It could be that Sproles ends up enjoying his time away with football enough to call it a career. Or he could commit to one more year in hopes of winning a Super Bowl, as former Saints tight end Benjamin Watson is doing with the New England Patriots.

Either way, Schefter emphasized that Sproles isn’t interested in ditching his family to go run around a sweltering practice field in May.

“That’s not what he wants to do,” Schefter said. “So, I think what he wants to do is sit back, wait and see if somebody wants him, and if somebody wants him at the appropriate time, I think that he’ll be enticed to wind up playing.”

What do you think? Is there room for Sproles in the Saints backfield, crowded with players like Alvin Kamara, Latavius Muray, Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo and new additions Javorius Allen and Matt Dayes? The Saints typically keep just four running backs (plus a fullback) on the 53-man roster.