Saquon Barkley seems set to take a seat out the Philadelphia Eagles’ ultimate regular-season recreation Sunday, denying the working again his likelihood at breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season speeding file.
Barkley would end the season with 2,005 yards speeding, simply 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson’s file of two,105 yards set with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
The Eagles (13-3) clinched the NFC East and the No. 2 seed within the convention, leaving little to play for in Sunday’s house recreation in opposition to the New York Giants.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni declined Wednesday to say outright which starters would play and which of them would sit out, saying of Barkley, “he’ll most likely be any individual that rests.”
[Related: Why Saquon Barkley is the NFL’s MVP]
Sirianni mentioned he talked with Barkley, in his first season with the Eagles after six years with the Giants, about his resolution.
“I feel it’s fairly apparent how particular this man is,” Sirianni mentioned.
Sirianni and the Eagles determined enjoying Barkley was not price risking damage to maybe their most beneficial participant and solely the ninth working again in NFL historical past to high 2,000 yards speeding in a season.
Win, lose or tie in opposition to the Giants, the Eagles will host the Inexperienced Bay Packers or Washington Commanders in a wild-card playoff recreation.
Sirianni had mentioned he deliberate to talk to everybody, together with gamers, coaches, basic supervisor Howie Roseman and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie earlier than making his resolution.
“It wasn’t the best resolution to undergo,” Sirianni mentioned.
Sirianni possible will relaxation the majority of the starters — notably quarterback Jalen Hurts, who sat out Sunday’s rout of Dallas with the lingering results of a concussion — to get them rested and wholesome forward of what the franchise expects will likely be a significant run to the Tremendous Bowl.
Hurts was nonetheless within the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday and couldn’t observe or play till he was cleared.
With a pursuit of the Tremendous Bowl forward, Barkley’s run on the speeding file seems grounded.
“On the finish of the day, I needed to make the choice on what I felt was greatest,” Sirianni mentioned.
After he ran for 167 yards in Sunday’s win in opposition to Dallas — the 27-year-old Barkley mentioned, he wished the file, however he would do what was greatest for the staff, even when that meant sitting out the final recreation of the common season.
Barkley signed a three-year take care of the Eagles for $26 million assured and $37.75 million general, making him the highest-paid working again in franchise historical past.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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