Saquon Barkley Addresses Eagles’ Decision to Rest Him in Final Game, Missing Chance to Break NFL Single-Season Rushing Record
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley expressed his disappointment and dismay at being held out of the team’s final game of the season, which meant he would miss the opportunity to break the NFL single-season rushing record. Barkley told reporters on Wednesday that he was initially “down” about head coach Nick Sirianni’s decision, which he made after their win against the Dallas Cowboys, but that he changed his mind after sleeping on it. According to Barkley, he and Sirianni discussed the decision, and Barkley was more invested in breaking the record after sleeping on it.
Barkley noted that he may never get another opportunity to break the record, saying, “I may never get another opportunity like that again. So I’m down, but in the end of the day, I don’t care if we’re putting the team at risk.” His family also wanted him to break the record, with Barkley stating, “I told my family, obviously. My family probably wanted it a little bit more than me.”
Despite being disappointed about missing the chance to break the record, Barkley has accepted the decision and is more focused on helping his team win in the playoffs, saying, “At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games and winning in the playoffs, and I have a bigger goal in mind.” With 2,005 rushing yards this season, Barkley was 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s record, set in 1984.