Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is having one of his best seasons as a pro. Barkley has rushed for nearly 1,700 yards this season and is on the verge of breaking the great Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record — when he rushed for 2,104 yards in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.
So the question is, if Barkley needs just a few yards to break Dickerson’s record in the final weekend of the season but the Eagles wrap up the NFC East by then, should they risk injury and play him?
Saquon Barkley’s Quest for Single-Season Rushing Record
One NFL insider says the Eagles may not want to take that chance, and it’s not for the reasons you may think.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the Eagles may not play Barkley not because of injury but to prevent the New York Giants, Barkley’s old team, from grabbing the No. 1 draft pick, which will probably be either Miami quarterback Cam Ward or Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
“If the Eagles’ seed is in hand, there’s nothing at stake, I would say they would not want to get Saquon the record… they’d want to sit down, rest their players, and make sure the Giants win that last game, so the Giants then fall from 1 or 2 to 7 and don’t get their QB of the future.”
If the Eagles' seed is locked ahead of Week 18, @AdamSchefter says Philly shouldn't want Saquon to break the record 👀
"If the Giants win that game … the Giants then fall from 1 or 2 to 7 and don't get their QB of the future." 😬 pic.twitter.com/9riEpmqQpC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 22, 2024
Schefter’s comments shocked the ESPN NFL panel because it would not only be a petty move by Philadelphia but maybe a clever chest move as well. Since the Giants cut QB Daniel Jones, many NFL experts have said the team has tanked so they can pick up the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft.
But surely, the Eagles aren’t that petty to sit Barkley just to keep the Giants from getting a quarterback. That may be a bit far-fetched even for them. Yet, wouldn’t it be something if Barkley were to break the record against his old team?
You wouldn’t think the Eagles would deny Barkley the opportunity to rub a little salt in the Giants’ wound after New York let him go in favor of keeping Jones.
The Giants choosing Jones over Barkley might have been one of the biggest mistakes in NFL history. The only thing bigger would have to be when the Minnesota Vikings gave away all those draft picks to the Dallas Cowboys for Herschel Walker, which allowed Dallas to build its dynasty of the 1990s.
The missing piece to the Eagles has been a good running back, and Barkley may very well be the reason they go on and win a Super Bowl. Giants owners have to be kicking themselves for allowing Barkley to not only get away but to also go to their hated rival.
New York also has nothing to show for it. Jones is gone, and the Giants have no draft picks or veteran players as compensation. To say the Giants mishandled this situation is an understatement, but the Eagles — and their fans — are glad they did.