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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said that he plans to rest key starters this Sunday against the New York Giants, including Saquon Barkley, according to EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Barkley is just about 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, and he will not be pursuing that record, as the Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC, so Sunday's game is essentially meaningless.
The Eagles will rest Barkley and other key starters as they await their playoff opponent. They will host the No. 7 seed on Wild Card weekend, and get another home game in the divisional round if they are able to advance.
Sirianni did acknowledge the significance of resting Barkley, saying it “wasn't an easy decision,” according to Brooks Kubena of The Athletic.
“At the end of the day, you try to do what's best for the team,” Sirianni said.
Earlier in the week, Sirianni hinted that he was balancing what is best for the player and what is best for the team. Ultimately, he decided that the best route forward was to rest key players, like Barkley, to keep them healthy for the bigger picture. It is understandable, especially given that a week later, the Eagles will be starting their playoff run.
It is also not surprising to see Barkley go along with this plan. He turned down going for a single game record against the Giants earlier in the season so that younger players could get more reps in a game that was a blowout.
Barkley signed with the Eagles to join a winning team that had a chance to win a Super Bowl. They are firmly in contention, especially with the injuries to the Detroit Lions, who could hold the No. 1 seed if they beat the Minnesota Vikings. The Eagles' focus is fully on making a run to the Super Bowl.
