Saquon Barkley addressed his team's decision to rest him in the last game of the season, causing him to miss out on a chance to break the NFL single-season rushing record.
The Philadelphia Eagles star told reporters on Wednesday that he was "down," amid a chance to break the league rushing record against his former team, the New York Giants.
Barkley said that he talked with Head Coach Nick Sirianni about the decision after last Sunday's win against the Dallas Cowboys, and wasn't as eager about it then, but became more invested in breaking the record after sleeping on it.
Now, he won't get that opportunity and isn't sure if he ever will again.
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"He asked me if I wanted to play if I wanted to go for it, I said, on Sunday, I probably didn't care too much for it. When I slept on it it was like, it's an opportunity to implant my name in football history. [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," Barkley said, in footage obtained by 94 WIP sideline reporter Devan Kaney.
Barkley said he also told his family about the situation, and they wanted him to break the record even more than he does.
"I told my family, obviously. My family probably wanted it a little bit more than me," Barkley said.
Barkley said his father took the news the hardest, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Still, Barkley accepts the decision and is more invested in being available to help his team win in the playoffs.
"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," Barkley said.
Barkley, with 2,005 rushing yards this year, is 100 shy of Eric Dickerson's record for the most rushing yards in a single season. Dickerson broke the record with 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
Dickerson had 12 games with more than 100 yards rushing that year to break O.J. Simpson’s 1973 record of 2,003. Dickerson needed 379 carries to set the record, but Barkley only has 345 carries this season. However, Dickerson also broke the record in fewer games than Barkley would play if he took the field on Sunday.
Barkley signed a three-year deal with the Eagles for $26 million guaranteed and $37.75 million overall, making him the highest-paid running back in franchise history.
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