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NFL rushing leader and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley recently revealed that he wanted a shot at breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record in Week 18. Barkley’s historic pursuit of a 40-year-old record kept fans guessing whether he would play in the next game. After Sunday’s win over the Cowboys, Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards on 345 carries. His current season will end just 101 yards away from surpassing Dickerson’s record of 2,105 rushing yards, which the latter accomplished in 1984.
Will Eagles Running back Saquon Barkley Play Against The Giants This Sunday?
No, Saquon Barkley will not play in the team’s final game of the season against the New York Giants, which is scheduled to be held on January 5. Coach Nick Sirianni announced in a news conference that Barkley would be among the players who are resting and will not face the Giants.
“We’re gonna rest some guys,” Sirianni said in the news conference. “He’ll probably be somebody that rests.”
While Barkley’s fans may be disappointed at the news, the running back is at peace with his coach’s decision. “[Sirianni] asked me if I wanted to play, if I wanted to go for it,” Barkley told ESPN on Wednesday. “I said, ‘On Sunday, I probably didn’t care too much for it. When I slept on it, it was an opportunity to implant my name in football history and I may never get an opportunity like that again. So, I’m down. But at the end of the day, I don’t care for putting the team at risk.’
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Dickerson has shared in the past that he doesn’t want his record to be broken. Since the Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed after the Lions vs. Vikings game, they will not be able to have a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The team will open the playoffs in the wild-card round next week against the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers. Sirianni himself addressed the chatter surrounding Dickerson’s record.
“Obviously it’s a very special record that’s been standing for a very long time by a great player, it’s a team record that everyone’s involved in… but at the end of the day, you try to do what’s best for the team,” Sirianni said.
“Our goals are to have success and to play good the next game we play, not only New York but the next team after that.” The Eagles don’t really have anything to play for on Sunday, and the team will sit some players to keep them healthy for the playoffs — and get them some rest, considering the Birds haven’t had a week off since the very early Week 5 bye week.
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