The Philadelphia Eagles face a big decision on Sunday—whether to rest star running back Saquon Barkley or go for an NFL record.
Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley could break Erick Dickerson’s single-season NFL rushing record, but whether or not Barkley plays on Sunday rests on a plethora of decision-makers and more.
The Eagles (13–3) are
set for the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs, so the Week 18 game against the New York Giants (3–13) has no bearing on playoff seeding, which means Sunday presents an opportunity to rest starters. In addition, Barkley needs a full day’s work—101 rushing yards—to break Dickerson’s record of
2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.
Barkley averages
5.8 yards per carry, which means he could need up to 17 carries at least to pass Dickerson. This risk of injury comes along with that as the Eagles seek a second Super Bowl appearance in three years.
“I‘ll talk to our staff, I’ll talk to the players, I‘ll talk to [general manager] Howie [Roseman], I’ll talk to [owner] Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie. I'll talk to everybody to try and make sure I’m making the best decision for the football team,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni
told 94WIP radio on Tuesday.
Sirianni has faced this conundrum before, but on a smaller scale. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith had the chance to break the Eagles’ single-season rookie receiving yardage record in 2021 during a season finale that couldn’t change playoff seeding.
“Smitty was going for the rookie receiver record. Everybody else was resting, but we wanted for everyone else—whatever it was—we didn’t play some other guys in that game, but we went and got him that record,” Sirianni said.
“Every situation is a little different. Not saying one way or the other or how that’s going to play out or even that I made a decision yet.”
In 2021, the Eagles had a
9–8 record and had to go on the road the following week to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time around, a No. 2 seed gives the Eagles a home game with a possible path at home all the way to the Super Bowl.
“Take a lot into account. What’s the best thing for the team, and what’s the best thing for the individuals going for the record?” Sirianni said.
If Barkley breaks the record on Sunday, he will do it in 17 games. Dickerson set the record in 16 games before the NFL had a 17-game schedule.
This season, Barkley has 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on 345 carries.
