Philadelphia Eagles fans were disappointed to learn ahead of their season-finale game against the Giants that Saquon Barkley would rest, despite being just 101 yards away from the NFL rushing record. Jason Kelce is one of those fans, and he thinks Saquon could’ve broken the record against his former team. However, he also understands why the Eagles didn’t want to push their star workhorse going into the playoffs.
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Travis Kelce opened the discussion on New Heights. As a football player, he’s confused about why the story even made headlines. After all, it was an obvious situation to rest the starters ahead of the playoff run. Philadelphia has locked themselves in as the number two seed and knew that going into last week’s game. There was no reason to play Saquon and the rest of the starters.
But as fans, it was painful to see Saquon sit so close to the record. Surely, he would’ve achieved the feat against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. He also would’ve been fueled to beat his former team, who didn’t want to extend his contract. Travis, however, isn’t entirely convinced Saquon would’ve hit the milestone, while Jason seemed very confident he would have.
“Yeah, he would’ve got it,” Jason said, cutting Travis off. “It’s the New York Giants, Trav. He would’ve blew that thing out the f*cking door.”
Travis disagreed at first, referencing how the Giants kept it close at 20-13 in Week 18. But he eventually admitted his brother made a good point.
That being said, Jason conceded that it was the right call to sit Saquon. He mentioned how Zay Flowers, who sustained a knee injury in Week 18, might not be ready for the playoffs. And, this only makes it more crucial for Barkley to be healthy and ready for the postseason.
Saquon Had a Historic Season
Saquon’s accomplishments, this year, earned him PFT’s Offensive Player of the Year award. Followed closely by Ja’Marr Chase, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow, Barkley beat out all counterparts by putting together an incredible rushing season — 2,005 rushing yards, 278 receiving yards, and 15 total touchdowns.
PFT also points out that if not for the Jalen Hurts tush push, he would’ve easily crossed 20 touchdowns and won the MVP. Although, some may have put an asterisk on Saquon’s record had he reached it in Week 18. Eric Dickerson, who currently holds the record, had one less gam when he set the mark in 1984.
However, Jason brought up one point in the argument that gets often overlooked.
“He’s (Saquon) got 40 less carries than Dickerson did,” Jason told his brother as Travis looked on in disbelief. “Yes, he does. If he would’ve had the same amount of carries Dickerson had through 16 games, he would’ve set the record there too. And we don’t put an asterisk next to Dickerson who broke OJ Simpson’s record in 14 games. Or whoever broke Jim Brown’s record at 12.”
All great points that Jason brings up. It was indeed a historic season that Saquon put together, regardless of not being able to reach the record. He’s now one of just nine running backs to ever rush for 2000 yards in a season. While it was disappointing to learn he wasn’t going to get a chance at breaking the record, it was still a pleasure to watch him this year.
Now the attention turns to the playoffs. Saquon has his first legitimate shot at a Super Bowl run, with his current team — the Eagles — the same team that eliminated his Giants in 2021. The Eagles are entering the postseason strong, and are poised for a Super Bowl conquest. This opportunity might just be the one thing that makes the decision to forgo the record worthwhile.
