Saquon Barkley and family aren’t happy the Eagles are giving him a chance to break the NFL rushing record
Saquon Barkley directed his team’s decision to give him a rest in the final game of the season, missing a chance to break the NFL single-season rushing record.
The Philadelphia Eagles star told reporters Wednesday that he is “unfit” to be a head coach Nick Sirianni the decision to take him out of the game against the New York Giants on Sunday. Barkley said he talked to Siranni about the decision after last Sunday’s win against the Dallas Cowboys, and he wasn’t as anxious about it at the time, but more invested in breaking the record after sleeping in.
He won’t get that chance now, and he’s not sure if he ever will again.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past a Washington Commanders defender en route to a 39-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
“He asked me if I wanted to play if I wanted to go, I said, on Sunday, I probably didn’t care too much about it. When I slept on it, it was a chance to put my name in football history. I might never get that chance again , but at the end of the day, I don’t care if we put the team at risk,” Barkley said.
Barkley said he also told his family about the situation, and they wanted him to break the record even more than he did.
“I told my family, obviously. My family probably wanted it a little more than I did,” Barkley said.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs off the field after the win against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Still, Barkley accepts the decision and is more invested in being available to help his team win the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games and winning the playoffs, and I have a bigger goal in mind,” Barkley said.
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Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Barkley, with 2,005 rushing yards this year, is 100 shy of Eric Dickerson’s record for most rushing yards in a season. Dickerson broke the record with 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
In 1984, Dickerson topped 100 yards rushing 12 times to break OJ Simpson’s 1973 record with Buffalo of 2,003 rushing yards in a season. Dickerson needed 379 carries to set the record, while Barkley had 345 carries this season.
Barkley signed a three-year contract with the Eagles for $26 million guaranteed and $37.75 million total, making him the highest-paid running back in franchise history.
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