Saquon Barkley reacts to sitting out Eagles' regular season finale

Saquon Barkley will come up just short. After eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, Barkley will watch the Eagles' regular season finale against the New York Giants from the bench, preserving his health for the playoffs. While it's the smart move it means Barkley will not break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards.

On Wednesday, Barkley told reporters he was "at peace" with Eagles' head coach Nick Sirianni's decision. He added his dad was more beat up about him sitting than anyone, wanting the record to be associated with the family. Barkley cares about something bigger.

Saquon Barkley reacts to the team deciding to not play him in the final game

Sounds like he told Nick Sirianni he wanted to do it, but is OK with the team’s decision to rest the starters: pic.twitter.com/5kYGANKj1E
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) January 1, 2025

"Coach asked me what I'd like to do, we had a conversation," Barkley said. "He called me back and let me know that I'll probably be resting. My family probably wanted it a little bit more than me. The most important thing is winning football games and winning playoffs. I've got a bigger goal in mind."

Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He joined Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Derrick Henry, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson and O.J. Simpson in the exclusive club.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs with the football against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field

Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a single season / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

After leaving the Giants in free agency, Barkley signed a three-year $37.75 million deal with the Eagles and is a huge reason why Philadelphia is 13-3 and atop the NFC East for the second time in three years. Barkley is the favorite for Offensive Player of the Year and will likely get some MVP votes as well.

The next time Barkley will see action will be in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. The Eagles are locked into the two seed and will play either the Washington Commanders or the Green Bay Packers in the opening round.