The Philadelphia Eagles are set to show down the possibility to let Saquon Barkley break the NFL’s single-season rushing record.
Head coach Nick Sirianni informed reporters on Wednesday that the workforce will probably be resting a number of key gamers of their season finale towards the New York Giants — Barkley’s former workforce. The Eagles are already locked into the No. 2 seed within the upcoming NFC playoffs and don’t have anything to achieve with a win.
Barkley, with 2,005 dashing yards this 12 months, is 100 shy of Eric Dickerson’s document for essentially the most dashing yards in a single season. However the workforce will decide to forestall danger of damage as a substitute of going for the milestone.
Sirianni stated he talked with Barkley, in his first season with the Eagles after six years with the Giants, about his determination.
“I feel it’s fairly apparent how particular this man is,” Sirianni stated.
Sirianni had stated he deliberate to talk to everybody, together with gamers, coaches, basic supervisor Howie Roseman and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie earlier than making his determination.
The Eagles had their bye week in Week 5, and returned from a 2-2 begin to win 10 straight video games and seize management of the division. However 12 straight video games — the place Barkley added to his NFL-high 345 carries — additionally performed a job in Sirianni giving the starters one week off earlier than the Eagles open the playoffs at house.
“It wasn’t the simplest determination to undergo,” Sirianni stated. “Now we have nice individuals on this constructing and had a whole lot of enter from a whole lot of completely different individuals, gamers included.”
Barkley has additionally stated he would prioritize the workforce’s success over breaking the document.
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Philadelphia Eagles working again Saquon Barkley (26) walks again to the bench throughout the second half of an NFL soccer recreation towards the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Picture/Stephanie Scarbrough)
“I got here right here to do one thing particular, and clearly breaking the document is particular,” Barkley stated after the Eagles clinched the division. “However I need a banner up there. I feel all of us do. However we gave ourselves an opportunity with that and clinched the playoffs earlier than and now with the division.”
Barkley ought to have loads of firm among the many beginning lineup towards the Giants. Hurts was nonetheless within the NFL’s concussion protocol on Wednesday and couldn’t apply or play till he was cleared.
Kenny Pickett began for the Eagles final week and ran and threw for a landing earlier than he left with injured ribs. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, threw a pair of landing passes as he put the ending touches on a rout of the Cowboys.
“On the finish of the day, I needed to make the choice on what I felt was finest,” Sirianni stated.
After he ran for 167 yards in Sunday’s win towards Dallas — the 27-year-old Barkley stated, he wished the document, however he would do what was finest for the workforce, even when that meant sitting out the final recreation of the common season.
“Relaxation, I’m high quality with that too, as a result of I didn’t come right here and signal right here simply to hurry for two,000 or break a document,” Barkley stated Sunday. “I wish to do one thing particular, that means particular with the workforce.”
Philadelphia Eagles working again Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball towards the Dallas Cowboys throughout the second half of an NFL soccer recreation, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Picture/Matt Slocum)
Barkley signed a three-year cope with the Eagles for $26 million assured and $37.75 million total, making him the highest-paid working again in franchise historical past.
The choice additionally ends that hand-wringing that Barkley would have set the document in an additional seventeenth recreation that Dickerson didn’t have in 1984.
In 1984, Dickerson topped 100 yards dashing 12 occasions to interrupt O.J. Simpson’s 1973 document with Buffalo of two,003 yards dashing in a single season. Dickerson wanted 379 carries to set the document, whereas Barkley had 345 carries this season.
In the meantime, the Giants will probably be going into Sunday’s recreation with even much less to play for than the Eagles, however way more to lose by way of draft positioning with a win.
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Philadelphia Eagles working again Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball towards the Carolina Panthers throughout the first quarter at Lincoln Monetary Discipline. (Invoice Streicher-Imagn Photos)
The Giants had been in sole possession of the worst document within the NFL, and the No. 1 total decide, previous to final week’s recreation towards the Indianapolis Colts. However with a 45-33 win at house over Indianapolis, the Giants have fallen to the fourth total decide.
A win over the Eagles’ backups would drop the Giants even additional within the draft order, as they may fall so far as No. 9 total.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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