The Philadelphia Eagles have locked up the NFC’s No. 2 seed. As a result, head coach Nick Sirianni has made the decision to rest some of their key starters for Week 18. With a Wild Card Round matchup right around the corner, rest is of the essence for Philadelphia.
Eagles To Rest Starters in Week 18 Against the Giants
Sirianni announced his decision to rest some key starters on Wednesday, most notably Saquon Barkley, who was on pace to break the NFL’s single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson.
“It’s very valuable to be in this position to do that. Obviously, it’s a very special record that’s been standing for a very long time by a great player,” Sirianni said. “It’s a team record that everyone’s involved in.”
Debates have raged on about the decision, especially with Barkley just 101 yards away and the chance to break the record against his former team, the New York Giants. However, Barkley has stood behind his coach’s decision.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games and winning the playoffs,” Barkley said. “I got a big goal in mind. … He’s the head coach for a reason. He makes those decisions and whatever decision he wanted to make, I let him know, ‘If you want me to play, I’m gonna go out there and make sure I get it. If we don’t, I’m okay with that too.’”
The Eagles’ focus now shifts to the Wild Card Weekend, where a matchup against the Washington Commanders or the Green Bay Packers awaits.
The Eagles haven’t officially announced who will be out, but judging by the players they are holding out of practice due to rest, it appears the following players will sit out Sunday’s game against the Giants:
- Jalen Hurts (Concussion)
- Saquon Barkley
- A.J. Brown
- DeVonta Smith
- Zack Baun
- Mekhi Becton
- Jalen Carter
- Reed Blankenship
- Cooper DeJean
- Landon Dickerson
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- Lane Johnson
- Cam Jurgens
- Jordan Mailata
- Quinyon Mitchell
- Darius Slay
- Nolan Smith
- Josh Sweat
While it remains to be seen if all of these players will sit out, any key players who do suit up likely won’t play long. The team is prioritizing rest over the relatively meaningless game.
Hurts, who suffered a concussion in Week 16, missed the rest of that game and was out in Week 17 as well. He has already been ruled out for Week 18 as he continues to recover. Before the team’s pivotal playoff game, the team is determined to get their star quarterback healthy.
We’ll see who ends up playing for the Eagles on Sunday, but don’t be surprised if many of their key contributors are on the sideline.