The Philadelphia Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed, so from a team standpoint, Sunday afternoon against the New York Giants literally makes no sense.
However, from a personal standpoint, Saquon Barkley has the opportunity to rewrite the history books.
Barkley is 101 yards away from passing Eric Dickerson as the NFL’s single-season rushing king after rushing for 167 yards last weekend.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, #26, runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
With another dominant performance, Barkley became the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season; The most impressive thing is that he did it in 16 games.
The record, of course, would come in a Week 17 game, so arguments can be made about its legitimacy.
However, it’s certainly on the minds of the Eagles and head coach Nick Sirianni, who have a decision to make: personal goals or what benefits the team.
Well, Sirianni said Tuesday that he would discuss the decision with almost everyone in the building.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, #26, runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
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“I will talk to our staff, I will talk to the players, I will talk to [general manager] howie [Roseman]I’ll talk to Mr. Lurie. “I’ll talk to everyone to try to make sure I’m making the best decision for the football team,” Sirianni told Philadelphia radio 94WIP on Tuesday during his weekly interview with Philadelphia radio 94WIP.
“What’s best for the team and also what’s best for the individuals chasing the record?”
In 2021, Sirianni rested most of his starters, except for DeVonta Smith, who was seeking the rookie receiving yards record, which he achieved.
“Every situation is a little different. I’m not saying one way or another or how it will play out, or even if I’ve made a decision yet.”
In an added sense of irony, it would obviously be a sweet feeling for Barkley to break the record against the team that chose not to re-sign him after six seasons on the G-Men, who are 3-13 but lost the No. 1 election this weekend.
Over the weekend, Cam Ward broke the FBS record for career touchdown passes and then didn’t play in the second half.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, #26, scores during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Barkley said Sunday that he will be fine with whatever decision is made.
“I came here to do something special. Breaking a record is special,” Barkley said, “but I want a sign up there. I think we all do.”
Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards on the season, averaging 125.3 yards per game. He has rushed for at least 100 yards in 11 games this season.
