The Philadelphia Eagles are set to turn down the chance to let Saquon Barkley break the NFL's single-season rushing record.
Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Wednesday that the team will be resting several key players in their season finale against the New York Giants — Barkley's former team. The Eagles are already locked into the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NFC playoffs and have nothing to gain with a win.
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. But the team will opt to prevent risk of injury instead of going for the milestone.
Sirianni said he talked with Barkley, in his first season with the Eagles after six years with the Giants, about his decision.
"I think it’s pretty obvious how special this guy is," Sirianni said.
Sirianni had said he planned to speak to everyone, including players, coaches, general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie before making his decision.
The Eagles had their bye week in Week 5, and returned from a 2-2 start to win 10 straight games and seize control of the division. But 12 straight games — where Barkley added to his NFL-high 345 carries — also played a role in Sirianni giving the starters one week off before the Eagles open the playoffs at home.
"It wasn’t the easiest decision to go through," Sirianni said. "We have great people in this building and had a lot of input from a lot of different people, players included."
Barkley has also said he would prioritize the team's success over breaking the record.
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"I came here to do something special, and obviously breaking the record is special," Barkley said after the Eagles clinched the division. "But I want a banner up there. I think we all do. But we gave ourselves a chance with that and clinched the playoffs before and now with the division."
Barkley should have plenty of company among the starting lineup against the Giants. Hurts was still in the NFL’s concussion protocol on Wednesday and could not practice or play until he was cleared.
Kenny Pickett started for the Eagles last week and ran and threw for a touchdown before he left with injured ribs. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, threw a pair of touchdown passes as he put the finishing touches on a rout of the Cowboys.
"At the end of the day, I had to make the decision on what I felt was best," Sirianni said.
After he ran for 167 yards in Sunday’s win against Dallas — the 27-year-old Barkley said, he wanted the record, but he would do what was best for the team, even if that meant sitting out the last game of the regular season.
"Rest, I’m fine with that too, because I didn’t come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record," Barkley said Sunday. "I want to do something special, meaning special with the team."
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.
The decision also ends that hand-wringing that Barkley would have set the record in an extra 17th game that Dickerson did not have in 1984.
In 1984, Dickerson topped 100 yards rushing 12 times to break O.J. Simpson’s 1973 record with Buffalo of 2,003 yards rushing in a single season. Dickerson needed 379 carries to set the record, while Barkley had 345 carries this season.
Meanwhile, the Giants will be going into Sunday's game with even less to play for than the Eagles, but much more to lose in terms of draft positioning with a win.
The Giants were in sole possession of the worst record in the NFL, and the No. 1 overall pick, prior to last week's game against the Indianapolis Colts. But with a 45-33 win at home over Indianapolis, the Giants have fallen to the fourth overall pick.
A win over the Eagles' backups would drop the Giants even further in the draft order, as they could fall as far as No. 9 overall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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