Saquon Barkley addressed his team’s decision to rest him in the final game of the season, causing him to miss a chance to break the NFL’s single-season rushing record.
The Philadelphia Eagles star told reporters Wednesday that he is “depressed” by head coach Nick Sirianni’s decision to keep him out of the game against the New York Giants on Sunday. Barkley said he talked to Siranni about the decision after last Sunday’s win against the Dallas Cowboys, and he wasn’t all that excited about it at the time, but he became more invested in breaking the record after sleeping on it.
Now he won’t get that chance and he’s not sure he’ll get it again.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past Washington Commanders defenders en route to a 39-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
“He asked me if I wanted to play, if I wanted to go, I told him that Sunday probably didn’t matter too much to me. When I fell asleep I thought, this is a chance to implant my name in football history. I may never get another chance like that, so I’m down, but at the end of the day, I don’t care if we’re putting the team at risk,” Barkley said.
Barkley said he also told his family about the situation and that they wanted him to break the record even more than he did.
“I told my family, obviously. My family probably loved him a little more than I did,” Barkley said.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) leaves the field after winning against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
Still, Barkley accepts the decision and is more interested in being available to help his team win the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is to win football games and win the playoffs, and I have a bigger goal in mind,” Barkley said.
Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles watches before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Barkley, with 2,005 rushing yards this year, is 100 shy of Eric Dickerson’s record for most rushing yards in a single season. Dickerson broke the record with 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
In 1984, Dickerson surpassed 100 rushing yards 12 times to break OJ Simpson’s 1973 Buffalo record of 2,003 rushing yards in a single season. Dickerson needed 379 carries to set the record, while Barkley had 345 carries this season.
Barkley signed a three-year contract with the Eagles for $26 million guaranteed and $37.75 million total, making him the highest-paid running back in franchise history.
