Eagles to Rest Saquon Barkley, Ending Pursuit of NFL Rushing Record

Philadelphia prioritizes playoff readiness over Barkley's chance to surpass Eric Dickerson's single-season milestone.

The Philadelphia Eagles have decided to rest Saquon Barkley for their final regular-season game, ensuring he will not break Eric Dickerson's 1984 single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards.
Barkley finishes the season with 2,005 rushing yards, the eighth-highest total in NFL history, after helping the Eagles secure the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed and an NFC East title with a 13-3 record.
Head coach Nick Sirianni cited the team's early Week 5 bye and the need to avoid injuries as key factors in the decision to rest starters ahead of the playoffs.
Eric Dickerson expressed reluctance about seeing his record broken, while NFL veteran Luke Kuechly and Barkley's teammates voiced support for his pursuit of the milestone.
The Eagles will host the NFC's No. 7 seed in the playoffs, while their Week 18 matchup against the 3-13 New York Giants holds no impact on their postseason positioning.