Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles are looking at the bigger picture — a deep playoff run that doesn’t end with a Super Bowl loss, as it did in 2023. This means keeping key players, like Saquon Barkley, injury-free, going into the playoffs. The Eagles are already locked in for the second NFC seed, so playing Barkley in Week 18 simply doesn’t make sense, even with a four-decade-long season record on the line. And Philly legend Charles Barkley agrees.
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Charles Barkley, a former Philadelphia 76ers power forward turned sports pundit, says that if Saquon played in the season finale and got injured, every analyst out there would metaphorically “kill” the Eagles.
“If Saquon Barkley went out there and got hurt, we (TV analysts) will kill them (the Eagles, Sirianni included). That’s the beauty of our job. We get to know the answer to the test then go talk about it,” the former NBA star said on They Call It a Night with Jason Kelce.
This is part of the reason why Charles believes Sirianni made the right call by deciding to rest Saquon for the Week 18 game against the NY Giants. Another reason it’s a good decision is because he believes the Eagles are the “favorites” to win the Super Bowl this year.
“I personally think they are making the right decision… I’m glad he is not playing and I’m really excited cause I think the Eagles are the favorite to win the Super Bowl.”
The host, Jason Kelce, also shared his thoughts. As a former Eagles player, and someone who “doesn’t have to rationalize” anymore now that he’s retired, he expressed that he wished Barkley could play for the record.
“As a former player, as someone who doesn’t have to be rational anymore, I f**king want them to go for that record.”
Jason did, however, understand why Saquon is being rested and why the running back himself has supported the decision. The team always comes first.
But is it fair to sit him? Barkley needs just 101 yards to surpass Nick Dickenson’s 2,105-yard mark, set back in 1984. It’s a record that could take another decade to break if Saquon sits out.
Additionally, the Eagles had the perfect chance to close the gap of 101 yards in Week 17 when they faced the Cowboys. They chose not to. So, why stop now?
The way Barkley has been playing, he would need just one half to rack up 100 yards and change, especially against the struggling Giants’ rush defense. From an outsider’s perspective, as a fan, it doesn’t seem fair at all. Who knows if the Eagles will even win the Super Bowl? It’s a long road, and if they fail, what will all this be for?
