Saquon Barkley seems set to overlook the Philadelphia Eagles’ remaining regular-season recreation on Sunday, denying the operating again an opportunity to interrupt Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season speeding report.
Barkley completed the season with 2,005 speeding yards, simply 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson’s report of two,105 yards set with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
The Eagles (13-3) clinched the NFC East and the No. 2 seed within the convention, leaving little to play for in Sunday’s dwelling recreation towards the New York Giants.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni on Wednesday declined to say outright which starters will play and which can sit out, saying of Barkley, “he’ll in all probability be somebody who will relaxation.”
(Related: Why Saquon Barkley is the NFL MVP)
Sirianni mentioned he spoke with Barkley, in his first season with the Eagles after six years with the Giants, about his resolution.
“I believe it is fairly apparent how particular this man is,” Sirianni mentioned.
Sirianni and the Eagles determined it wasn’t price enjoying Barkley and threat injuring maybe their most useful participant and solely the ninth operating again in NFL historical past to prime 2,000 yards speeding in a season.
Win, lose or tie towards the Giants, the Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers or the Washington Commanders in a wild card playoff recreation.
Sirianni had mentioned he deliberate to speak to everybody, together with gamers, coaches, basic supervisor Howie Roseman and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie earlier than making his resolution.
“It wasn’t the best resolution to make,” Sirianni mentioned.
Sirianni will doubtless relaxation many of the starters — significantly quarterback Jalen Hurts, who missed Sunday’s rout of Dallas with the lingering results of a concussion — to get them rested and wholesome for what the franchise expects it will likely be a big race to the Super. Bowl.
Hurts was nonetheless within the NFL’s concussion protocol Sunday and couldn’t observe or play till he was cleared.
With a run to the Super Bowl in sight, Barkley’s pursuit of the speeding report seems entrenched.
“At the top of the day, I needed to make the choice on what I believed was greatest,” Sirianni mentioned.
After operating for 167 yards in Sunday’s win over Dallas – the 27-year-old Barkley mentioned he wished the report, however he would do what was greatest for the crew, even when it meant lacking the ultimate recreation of the common season.
Barkley signed a three-year contract with the Eagles for $26 million assured and $37.75 million total, making him the highest-paid operating again in franchise historical past.
Associated Press reporting.
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