Saquon Barkley sitting for Eagles vs. Giants is the right call
Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Giants during the third quarter of a game at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 20, 2024. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Giants held their final practice of the season on Friday, the most noteworthy aspect of which was an opponent they did not have to prepare to face.
Saquon Barkley (rest) is not expected to play for the Eagles when the Giants visit on Sunday, which is a huge loss for the NFL, for anyone with a ticket to the game, for Giants fans hoping for a loss for improved draft position, for those among us who enjoy delicious sports narratives and, yes, for Barkley himself.
With all that said, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni would have been committing coaching malpractice if he had used his star running back in a game that will not impact the Eagles’ playoff circumstances.
The fact that this has been a topic of discussion in the sports yakosphere this week is odd, because the decision is a no-brainer.
The chance to break Eric Dickerson’s 1984 NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards is enticing, yes, and Barkley is in clear reach of it, needing 101 yards.
Doing it against the Giants, the team that allowed him to leave for Philadelphia as a free agent last offseason, would have added greatly to his satisfaction level.
But stop. Putting Barkley on the field not only would have been tempting fate; it would have drawn a 15-yard penalty for taunting fate.
The fact that he has stayed healthy and productive through 16 games is a testament to him and to good fortune. Why blow it in Game No. 17?
The Eagles’ bye was in Week 5, so they have played 12 weeks in a row. And because they are the NFC’s No. 2 seed for the playoffs, they do not have a week off for the wild-card round.
As for a Barkley revenge tour, that’s already settled. He rushed for 176 yards (in three quarters) in the Eagles’ 28-3 victory over the Giants on Oct. 20 at MetLife Stadium and has run wild most other weeks, too.
Barkley’s former teammates understand the arguments on both sides.
“I’m a little upset,” Adoree’ Jackson told Newsday. “I would want him to play. But there are two aspects to the game. As a competitor, I know he wants to play so he can get the yardage. But you need to think about the end goal, which is trying to win the Super Bowl.”
Jackson said he would love to see Barkley “get the accolades and all the glory, because he’s been having a great season. Tremendous person. Good things happen to good people . . . But is it worth it?”
Even though he will not play on Sunday, Barkley rubbed it in this week with a series of ads for the sleep aid Unisom that trolled Giants president John Mara.
Barkley did not name Mara, but he clearly was referencing Mara’s infamous comment on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” when he told general manager Joe Schoen, “I’m going to have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that.”
In one ad, Barkley says: “I heard some of you were having trouble sleeping, so I wrote you a lullaby. ‘Rockabye baby, awake in your bed, as the thought of 2,000 swirls in your head.’ It sure is tough to lose sleep over football. Not for me, though. Goodnight to you all.”
By Friday afternoon, most Giants had seen the ads.
“That was funny,” Jackson said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve got to laugh it off. He got paid to do something. It’s not malicious. It’s supposed to be funny.”
He said he hoped Mara and Barkley would see each other before the game and “laugh about it.”
Perhaps. What is important is that both will be wearing street clothes.
Notes & quotes: LB Micah McFadden (neck), OL Evan Neal (rib, hip), OL John Michael Schmitz (ankle), DL Armon Watts (knee) and DB Greg Stroman (shin) are out for Sunday.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
