PHILADELPHIA — Eagles working again Saquon Barkley will sit out Sunday’s regular-season finale in opposition to the New York Giants, placing an finish to his chase of the single-season dashing report.
With Philadelphia’s postseason seeding secured, coach Nick Sirianni steered Barkley will probably be one of many starters who will relaxation because the Eagles gear up for the playoffs.
“He will most likely be any individual that rests,” Sirianni stated.
Barkley will finish the common season 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL report of two,105 yards, set in 1984.
“It sort of would have been a full-circle second [to break the record against the Giants], however on the finish of the day it wasn’t in God’s plan. I’ve acquired greater issues in thoughts, and we get an opportunity to relaxation and prepare to roll for the playoffs.”
Saquon Barkley
“[Sirianni] requested me if I needed to play, if I needed to go for it,” Barkley stated at his locker Wednesday. “I stated on Sunday [that] I most likely did not care an excessive amount of for it. When I slept on it, it was a possibility to implant my identify in soccer historical past, and I could by no means get a possibility like that once more. So, I’m down. But on the finish of the day, I do not take care of placing the group in danger.
“He’s the top coach for a purpose. He makes these selections, and no matter choice he needed to make, I let him know in the event you let me play, I’m going to go on the market and ensure I get it. And if I do not, I’m OK with that, too.”
Whether Barkley ought to have the chance to go for the dashing title was a sizzling level of debate in Philadelphia and past this week. The Eagles (13-3) have clinched the NFC East division title and are locked into the NFC’s No. 2 seed, making the Giants recreation irrelevant from a playoff positioning perspective.
With a Week 5 bye, Philadelphia has performed 12 straight video games, which factored into the choice to take a seat some core gamers.
“Obviously it is a very particular report that is been standing for a really very long time by a fantastic participant. It’s a group report that everyone’s concerned in. You weigh all these issues,” Sirianni stated. “But on the finish of the day, you simply attempt to do what’s finest for the group. When the bye was, how guys are feeling, the bumps and bruises we are able to maintain. We’ve put ourselves ready to be on this scenario. … It wasn’t the simplest choice to undergo, however we have now nice individuals on this constructing and had a whole lot of enter from lots of people, gamers included.”
Barkley stated his household “most likely needed it a bit greater than me.” He stated his father took it the toughest.
“You’ve acquired to consider it,” Barkley defined, “whether or not it might take a yr if I broke it for somebody to interrupt it or one other 40 to 50 years, our identify would have been connected to that. I see it from that aspect, too, however on the finish of the day, a very powerful factor is successful soccer video games, and he is the one which raised me to be all in regards to the group, too, so he can have his little egocentric second, however he’ll recover from it.”
Barkley added that it might have been “particular” to interrupt the report in opposition to his former group, not out of revenge however moderately due to all of the individuals within the Giants group who helped him alongside the best way.
“It sort of would have been a full-circle second, however on the finish of the day it wasn’t in God’s plan. I’ve acquired greater issues in thoughts, and we get an opportunity to relaxation and prepare to roll for the playoffs.”
Sirianni additionally revealed that quarterback Jalen Hurts stays in concussion protocol. He sustained the harm Week 16 in opposition to the Washington Commanders and didn’t play Sunday in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys.
Opinions have been break up within the Philadelphia locker room following the Week 17 win over the Cowboys. Right sort out Lane Johnson was leaning towards resting the starters, beneath the premise of it is “higher to be protected than sorry.”
Left sort out Jordan Mailata, in the meantime, stated he deliberate to “push for” the starters to play in opposition to New York.
“It’s a possibility to make historical past,” Mailata stated. “We by no means actually spoke in regards to the Giants subsequent week, however we simply had the sensation that if we do not go for it at the moment, we would sit out. We do not know. Coach hasn’t actually stated something but. We’ll see.”
With his 167-yard efficiency in opposition to Dallas, Barkley turned simply the ninth participant in NFL historical past to hurry for two,000-plus yards in a season.
