Saquon Barkley more concerned about postseason than Pro Bowl

Saquon Barkley did not make the Pro Bowl this year, but that is not the postseason contest he is most upset about missing.

“The Pro Bowl is dope,” he said on Thursday. “I went there last year, it’s an awesome experience. But it’s not the end all, be all. I don’t think I was even anywhere close to deserving to be in the Pro Bowl.”

Barkley has 722 rushing yards, is averaging almost a full yard less per carry than he did last season and has scored only five touchdowns. He is an alternate, so he still might  make it if enough running backs drop out of the event.

The real snub, in Barkley’s mind, isn’t that honor but another that has eluded him in his career.

“Does it motivate me? No,” he said of the Pro Bowl. “What motivates me is that we’re going home in two weeks. That’s the only motivation I have, that we’re not on a playoff run or with a chance to go to the playoffs. That’s going to be my motivation all this offseason.”

Notes & quotes: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Shula said his goals for Daniel Jones, who is on track to start on Sunday, are fairly simple for the last two games of the season. “Just win games,” Shula said. “It’s all about winning.” … Jones was a full participant in Thursday’s practice for the second straight day. Pat Shurmur is expected to name him the starter for Sunday’s game on Friday … S Antoine Bethea and CB Antonio Hamilton were excused from practice for personal reasons … TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), who practiced fully on Wednesday, was limited to non-contact work on Thursday. “Each guy responds differently to coming back,” Shurmur said of concussions. “There’s a process bringing him back, so we’ll just have to see by the end of the week.”

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.