The Philadelphia Eagles have Saquon Barkley to thank for a remarkable turnaround. After a disappointing first-round playoff exit last year, the team has turned into a juggernaut with an electric offense. One key reason has been the incredible play of Barkley, who stands just 101 yards away from breaking the NFL’s single-season rushing record.
However, with a chance to break the record in Week 18, Barkley is out for the game. Let’s examine why.
Why Is Saquon Barkley Out in Week 18?
Barkley didn’t sustain an injury. Rather, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has opted to rest most of his starters for Week 18. A pivotal clash awaits in the Wild Card Round the following week and some rest might help the team ahead of their first playoff matchup.
Barkley is on the list of players resting in the regular-season finale, with Sirianni talking at length about how tough this decision was.
“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. You weigh all of those things. But at the end of the day, you just try to do what’s best for the team.”
Given the historic nature of the record and Barkley’s opportunity to break it against his former team, analysts and fans alike have expressed some resistance. Sirianni’s decision for Week 18 remains final, and he doesn’t regret how he handled the season as a whole.
“You look back at that, and you really go through those things, and you say, ‘This is the best thing you can do for those guys at the time to make sure that they’re healthy,'” he explained. “We were able to have a quarter off (against Dallas on Nov. 10) before we played Washington on a Thursday (on Nov. 14).”
Barkley could have gotten more carries throughout the season, but there’s no way of knowing if his body would have held up had Sirianni approached things differently.
When asked about Sirianni’s decision to rest him and other key starters, Barkley agreed with his head coach.
“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.”
Even with Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 rushing yards in sight, Barkley is shoulder-to-shoulder with his head coach on his decision.
“He’s the head coach for a reason,” Barkley said. “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.’”
Who Is the Eagles’ Starting Running Back in Week 18?
Earlier in the year, when Barkley has sat out entire quarters at a time in blowouts, his response was clear: “I’d rather see the young guys eat.”
For Week 18, they are going to get the opportunity at eat.
Kenneth Gainwell will be upgraded to the team’s starter. The Eagles would like to give rookie Will Shipley some opportunities, but his status remains in question.
According to the Eagles’ injury report, Shipley is questionable with a concussion that has limited him since Week 16.
Gainwell, on the other hand, will look to build on a decent season, as he has 276 yards on just 64 carries, including a touchdown that he recorded against the Los Angeles Rams in late November. He has also caught 14 passes for 107 yards.