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Saquon Barkley will likely end the regular season without a chance at pursuing history.
Eagles head coach announced Wednesday morning that Philadelphia will be resting some of their starters against the New York Giants in their regular season finale on Sunday. The Eagles cannot improve their playoff seeding beyond the No. 2 seed regardless of Sunday’s result. Sirianni also cited the team’s Week 5 bye as a big reason for wanting to rest his players.
“It’s very valuable to be in this position to do that,” Sirianni said during Wednesday’s media availability. “This isn’t our first time having to do this, and we’ve had experience with this. A lot of that went into planning this. … We want to use this week to get better because of our goals moving forward.”
Barkley will “probably be someone that rests,” according to Sirianni.
The decision comes just days after Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Currently sitting at 2,005 yards, Barkley sits 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record that has stood since 1984.
The NFL’s 2,000-yard club
| Player | Year, Team | Rushing yards |
|---|---|---|
|
Eric Dickerson |
1984 Rams |
2,105 |
|
Adrian Peterson |
2012 Vikings |
2,097 |
|
Jamal Lewis |
2003 Ravens |
2,066 |
|
Barry Sanders |
1997 Lions |
2,053 |
|
Derrick Henry |
2020 Titans |
2,027 |
|
Terrell Davis |
1998 Broncos |
2,008 |
|
Chris Johnson |
2009 Titans |
2,006 |
|
Saquon Barkley |
2024 Eagles |
2,005 |
|
O.J. Simpson |
1973 Bills |
2,003 |
“Obviously it’s a very special record that’s been standing for a very long time by a great player,” Sirianni said of the decision to rest Barkley. “It’s a team record that everybody’s involved in. So you weigh in all those things, but at the end of the day, you just try and do what’s best for the team.”
In the Eagles’ previous matchup against the Giants, Barkley ran for 176 yards and a touchdown on just 17 carries.
Dickerson has survived several challenges in recent years, including Derrick Henry’s 2020 season and Adrian Peterson’s 2012 MVP campaign. Barkley, however, seemed most poised to break the record. Not only did the Eagles running back have the advantage of the newly-instated 17-game season, but Barkley also averaged more yards per carry in his inaugural season with the Eagles (5.8) than Dickerson did during his record-setting year (5.6). Dickerson also finished with 379 carries to Barkley’s 345.
Barkley said that after his Week 17 milestone, he had his sights set on a Super Bowl, not Dickerson’s record.
“I came here to do something special,” Barkley said Sunday. “Obviously, breaking a record is special. But I want to be part of — I want a banner up there. I think we all do.”
Saquon sits just shy of history
Nick Sirianni said “It wasn’t an easy decision” to sit Saquon Barkley in Sunday’s season finale. But it’s the obvious decision. Barkley is too valuable, too centric to the offense’s success to accept any risk of injury that’d be associated with fielding him in a meaningless final game against the New York Giants. Barkley needed 101 more yards to set the record — a significant amount that would’ve likely required Barkley to play for the majority of the game.
Multiple players will rest on Sunday. Jalen Hurts remains in concussion protocol. It’s likely that many starting offensive linemen (who’ve been blocking for Barkley) will rest, too. Sirianni said he discussed the decision with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman, members of the coaching staff and Barkley himself.
The ultimate factor remains that there’s no postseason stakes worth risking an injury for. The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed. Even Barkley expressed Sunday that their goals are bigger. Their sights are set on winning a second Super Bowl in Philadelphia.
“At the end of the day, you try to do what’s best for the team,” Sirianni said.
Barkley will finish the 2024 season with 2,005 rushing yards. He’s the ninth player to eclipse 2,000 yards in NFL history. Four of those players — Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, O.J. Simpson — are in the Hall of Fame. Sirianni said Barkley’s inclusion among those names speaks for the greatness he fielded this season, even if it will end without a chance at breaking Dickerson’s record.
“That’s a special thing for the team,” Sirianni said. “That’s a special thing for Saquon.” — Brooks Kubenba, Philadelphia Eagles beat reporter
Required reading
(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
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