Saquon Barkley addressed his team's decision with Comfort him in the final game of the season, causing him to miss the opportunity to break the NFL single-season rushing record.
The Philadelphia Eagles star told reporters Wednesday that he's “disappointed” about the head coach Nick Sirianni A decision to keep him out of the game against the New York Giants on Sunday. Barkley said he spoke with Serani about the decision after last Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys, and he wasn't excited about it at the time, but became more interested in breaking the record after sleeping on it.
Now, he won't get that chance and isn't sure if he'll ever get it again.
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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past two Washington Commanders defenders on his way to a 39-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagine Images)
“He asked me if I wanted to play. If I wanted to play, I said, 'On Sunday, I probably didn't care that much about it. When I slept on him, it was an opportunity to instill my name in my name.' “I probably won't get another opportunity like this again, so I'm disappointed, but at the end of the day, I don't care if we're putting the team at risk,” Barkley said.
Barkley said he also told his family about the situation, and they wanted him to break the record more than he did.
“I told my family very clearly. My family probably wanted it a little more than I did,” Barkley said.
November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) walks off the field after their win over the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagine Images)
However, Barkley accepts the decision and is more invested in being available to help his team win the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games and winning the playoffs, and I have a bigger goal in mind,” Barkley said.
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Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Liff/Getty Images)
Barkley, with 2,005 rushing yards this year, is 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's record for most rushing yards in a single season. Dickerson broke the record with 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
In 1984, Dickerson reached 100 yards rushing 12 times to break OJ Simpson's record of 2,003 yards rushing in a season set by OJ Simpson in 1973 with Buffalo. Dickerson needed 379 carries to tie the record, while Barkley had 345 this season.
Barkley signed a three-year contract with the Eagles for $26 million guaranteed and $37.75 million overall, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history.
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