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Saquon Barkley directed his team’s decision to give him a rest in the final game of the season, missing a chance to break the NFL single-season rushing record.
The Philadelphia Eagles star told reporters Wednesday that he’s “down,” amid a chance to break the league rushing record against his former team, the New York Giants.
Barkley said he spoke with the head coach Nick Sirianni about the decision after last Sunday’s win against the Dallas Cowboys, and he wasn’t as anxious about it at the time, but he was more invested in breaking the record after sleeping it off.
He won’t get that chance now, and he’s not sure if he ever will again.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past a Washington Commanders defender en route to a 39-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
“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 about it. When I slept on it, it was a chance to put my name in the history of football. [I] he may never get such an opportunity again. So I’m down. But at the end of the day, I don’t care if we put that risk,” Barkley said, in a recording obtained by 94 WIP 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 did.
“I told my family, obviously. My family probably wanted it a little more than I did,” Barkley said.
Barkley said his father took the news the hardest, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs off the field after the win against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Still, Barkley accepts the decision and is more invested in being available to help his team win the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games and winning the playoffs, and I have a bigger goal in mind,” Barkley said.
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Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on 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 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 OJ Simpson’s 1973 record from 2003. Dickerson needed 379 carries to set the record, but Barkley has just 345 carries this season. However, Dickerson also broke the record for fewer games than Barkley would have played had he taken the field on Sunday.
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.
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