Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will probably sit out the regular-season finale against the New York Giants on Sunday, ending his pursuit of the NFL single-season rushing record, coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday. With the Eagles locked into the second seed in the NFC playoffs, Sirianni told reporters that the team would rest players against the Giants.
“There are going to be some guys that are resting,” he said, adding when asked specifically about Barkley: “He’ll probably be somebody that rests.” Barkley is 101 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 rushing yards, set in 1984. He piled up 167 yards against the Dallas Cowboys last week to become just the ninth running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards.
Related news
“Obviously, it’s a very special record that’s been standing for a long time by a great player,” Sirianni said of Dickerson’s mark. But he indicated that keeping the top players healthy for the playoffs takes priority. “It’s a team record that everybody’s involved in. You take and weigh all of those things, but at the end of the day, you just try to do what’s best for the team,” Sirianni said.
Whether Barkley should have a chance to break the record on Sunday has been a hot topic in Philadelphia. But Barkley said after the Cowboys game that he would be happy to accept whatever Sirianni decided, adding that pursuit of a Super Bowl title was more important than the record.
“Whatever his decision is, I’m all for it,” Barkley said. “If his mindset is, we’ll go out there and try it, I’ll go out there and try it. If his mindset is, let’s rest and get ready for this run, I’m all for that, too. I came here to do something special. Breaking a record is special but I want a banner up there. I think we all do.”
© 2024 AFP
