[ad_1]
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to show down the possibility to let Saquon Barkley break the NFL’s single-season dashing file.
Head coach Nick Sirianni advised reporters on Wednesday that the group will probably be resting a number of key gamers of their season finale in opposition to the New York Giants — Barkley’s former group. 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 file for essentially the most dashing yards in a single season. However the group will decide to stop threat of harm as an alternative of going for the milestone.
Sirianni mentioned he talked with Barkley, in his first season with the Eagles after six years with the Giants, about his resolution.
“I believe it’s fairly apparent how particular this man is,” Sirianni mentioned.
Sirianni had mentioned he deliberate to talk to everybody, together with gamers, coaches, common supervisor Howie Roseman and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie earlier than making his resolution.
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 task in Sirianni giving the starters one week off earlier than the Eagles open the playoffs at residence.
“It wasn’t the simplest resolution to undergo,” Sirianni mentioned. “We now have nice individuals on this constructing and had numerous enter from numerous totally different individuals, gamers included.”
Barkley has additionally mentioned he would prioritize the group’s success over breaking the file.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Philadelphia Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley (26) walks again to the bench in the course of the second half of an NFL soccer sport in opposition to 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 file is particular,” Barkley mentioned after the Eagles clinched the division. “However I need a banner up there. I believe 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 in opposition to the Giants. Hurts was nonetheless within the NFL’s concussion protocol on Wednesday and couldn’t follow 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 mentioned.
After he ran for 167 yards in Sunday’s win in opposition to Dallas — the 27-year-old Barkley mentioned, he needed the file, however he would do what was finest for the group, even when that meant sitting out the final sport 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 file,” Barkley mentioned Sunday. “I need to do one thing particular, that means particular with the group.”
NFL TEAMS DOING ‘EXTENSIVE HOMEWORK’ ON JON GRUDEN SINCE CONTROVERSIAL EMAILS AS OFFSEASON APPROACHES: REPORT
Philadelphia Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys in the course of the second half of an NFL soccer sport, 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 operating again in franchise historical past.
The choice additionally ends that hand-wringing that Barkley would have set the file in an additional seventeenth sport that Dickerson didn’t have in 1984.
In 1984, Dickerson topped 100 yards dashing 12 instances to interrupt O.J. Simpson’s 1973 file with Buffalo of two,003 yards dashing in a single season. Dickerson wanted 379 carries to set the file, whereas Barkley had 345 carries this season.
In the meantime, the Giants will probably be going into Sunday’s sport with even much less to play for than the Eagles, however rather more to lose when it comes to draft positioning with a win.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Philadelphia Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball in opposition to the Carolina Panthers in the course of the first quarter at Lincoln Monetary Area. (Invoice Streicher-Imagn Pictures)
The Giants had been in sole possession of the worst file within the NFL, and the No. 1 total decide, previous to final week’s sport in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts. However with a 45-33 win at residence 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.
Comply with Fox Information Digital’s sports activities protection on X, and subscribe to the Fox Information Sports activities Huddle publication.
[ad_2]
