Is Saquon Barkley playing vs. New York Giants in Week 18? Philadelphia Eagles are undecided

Barkley within reach of single-season rushing record

Saquon Barkley cut the New York Giants a break in Week 7. After compiling 176 rushing yards in the first three quarters of a 28-3 Philadelphia Eagles’ victory over the Giants, Barkley declined an offer from head coach Nick Sirianni to stay in the game to try and break his then-career best of 189 rushing yards.

It is still to be determined if the Giants will get another break from Barkley in Week 18.

The former Giant last week became just the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Barkley has 2,005, eight all-time and just 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s 1984 record of 2,105 yards.

With the Eagles at 13-3 and locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, no decision has been made as to whether or not Barkley will play to pursue the record.

Barkley is inclined to let Sirianni make the decision this time.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Barkley said in a Sunday Night Football interview. “I’m ready if we have the opportunity to do it, or if I rest and get ready for the playoffs, too, I’m down for that.”

Barkley also said signing with the Eagles was “the best decision of my life.”

As of Tuesday, Sirianni is undecided.

“I’ll talk to our staff, I’ll talk to the players, I’ll talk to [general manager] Howie [Roseman], I’ll talk to Mr. Lurie. I’ll talk to everybody to try and make sure I’m making the best decision for the football team,” Sirianni said Tuesday during his weekly interview with 94WIP radio in Philadelphia.

In 2021, Sirianni allowed wide receiver DeVonta Smith to play in the otherwise meaningless season finale to let him break the franchise’s rookie receiving record.

“If you think back a couple of years ago to 2021, Smitty was going for the rookie receiver record. Everybody else was resting, but we wanted for everyone else — whatever it was — we didn’t play some other guys in that game, but we went and got him that record,” Sirianni said. “Every situation is a little different. Not saying one way or the other or how that’s going to play out or even that I made a decision yet.”

It would, of course, be yet another kick in the pants for the 3-13 Giants if Barkley sets the single-season record at their expense.