Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing yards record will remain intact for another year.
The Philadelphia Eagles made the decision to rest running back Saquon Barkley ahead of their season finale against the New York Giants. Barkley was just 101 yards shy of breaking the record, but since the Eagles have locked in their playoff position, the team elected to rest their starters, including Barkley.
Barkley said Sirianni asked him if he wanted to go for the record. Barkley said that while he recognized the opportunity to stamp his name in the NFL history books, and would likely never get another opportunity to do so, he did not like putting the team at risk ahead of the playoffs to chase a personal record.
Even without the record, Barkley has embarked on a campaign that will put him in the history books: His 2,005 yards this season made him one of just nine running backs in NFL history to top 2,000 yards in a season. He is also the Eagles’ single-season record holder in both rushing and yards from scrimmage.
Sirianni said the decision was made by the entire team, and commended his players and staff for putting the team first.
“It wasn’t the easiest decision to go through, but we have great people in this building and had a lot of input from a lot of different people, players included. ... We have just selfless guys that want to do what’s best for the football team, getting some guys some rest.”
Barkley said he accepted Sirianni’s decision. “He’s the head coach for a reason. He makes those decisions.”
One of the major factors contributing to Barkley changing his mind was his appreciation for the hard work of his linemen. He said the offensive linemen wanted him to chase the record, but while his name would have been in the record books, he wouldn’t have been able to break the record without his blockers.
Barkley was also acutely aware that his chance to break the record would have come against the team that drafted him. While he recognized the “full-circle moment,” he said he has a lot of love for his former teammates and training staff who helped him recover from his torn ACL in 2020 and was focused on goals larger than revenge.