Jason Kelce May Understand Why Eagles Rested Saquon Barkley, Missing Chance at NFL’s Single-Season Rushing Record
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s 1984 record, but was rested in the final game of the season against the New York Giants. Jason Kelce, the Eagles’ center, recently discussed the decision on his podcast “New Heights.”
“I think it would have been awesome to watch him [Barkley] blow that thing out the door,” Kelce said. “Did I want Barkley to go for the record? You’re goddamn right. I think it would have been awesome to watch it happen.” However, Kelce also understood why the team made the decision, citing the risk of injury in a pointless game before the playoffs.
Travis Kelce, Jason’s brother and Kansas City Chiefs tight end, questioned the purpose of pursuing the record and suggested that it would require an asterisk due to the additional game. Jason Kelce disagreed, saying that if Barkley had the same number of carries as Dickerson, he would have set the record in 17 games as well.
Jason emphasized that the risk wasn’t worth the reward, especially considering the team’s Super Bowl aspirations. “If one of our linemen or Barkley got hurt and missed the playoffs, it would hurt us,” he said.
Despite missing out on the record, Kelce still thinks it would have been a historic moment for Barkley to break the record in the city of Philadelphia against his old team, the New York Giants, who didn’t value him. “You’re the baddest dude in the NFL if you got that stat, and he had a chance to set that record. He had a chance to do it in the city of Philadelphia for the Eagles. He had a chance to do it against a team that literally did not pay, like, did not value him.”