Saquon Barkley is 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season NFL rushing record. It looks like he’s going to stay there, even with one game remaining in 2024’s regular season.
Barkley won’t play in Week 18’s finale against the New York Giants, per head coach Nick Sirianni. It’s a move that makes sense. Philadelphia is locked into the second seed in the NFC no matter Sunday’s outcome. That gives him a chance to make his own bye week, replacing the one he would have gotten had the league not shifted to a seven-team playoff format in 2020.
The MVP candidate could use a week off. Barkley’s 345 carries are nearly 10 percent more than second-place Kyren Williams among the NFL leaders. His 378 total touches are a career high. Over the last three seasons alone he’s toted the ball 1,043 times — nearly twice as much as Bo Jackson did in his entire pro career.
Barkley is a physical marvel who may have easily held up over another 20 carries, but the risk outweighs the reward. It’s great news for Dickerson, who was ready to accept his record falling even if he wasn’t rooting for it. His 2,105 rushing yards will remain the all-time leader heading into a fifth decade, making it one of the league’s longest-standing single-season marks.
Instead, the Eagles opted for stability over history. Their 2024 surge has relied on Barkley’s tone-setting runs. The Eagles are 10-1 when he rushes for more than 100 yards and 3-2 when he does not. His success on the ground creates the third-and-manageable situations that have allowed his offense to thrive — a top 10 third down conversion rate and a top-five conversion rate on fourth down.
As a result, either the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders will rematch the Eagles with a fresh Barkley waiting in the backfield. In Week 1 against Green Bay, that manifested in 109 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. He had 296 rushing yards and four touchdowns in two games against Washington.
Sitting him in Week 18 is the boring decision, but the correct one. Barkley isn’t Philadelphia’s only game-changing offensive weapon, but he’s been the most reliable. By holding him out vs. feisty New York team that just ruined the Indianapolis Colts’ postseason hopes, Sirianni is prioritizing team success over individual glory.