The Eagles make NFL rushing record-tying Saquon Barkley’s decision against the Giants

There will be no Saquon Barkley record party on Sunday.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed Wednesday that Philadelphia will rest its players, including Barkley, in Week 18 against the Giants as it prepares for the playoffs after winning the NFC East.

The 27-year-old Barkley finished his season with 2,005 rushing yards, just 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

He finished his first year in Philadelphia with the ninth-most rushing yards in a season in NFL history.

Barkley, who spent the first six years of his career with the Giants after being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, was traded by the division rival Eagles in free agency.

The three-year, $37.75 million deal has paid immediate dividends for the Eagles as they enter the final week of the season at 13-3.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen previously admitted backstage during MAX’s “Hard Knocks” show that the Giants couldn’t pay Barkley or quarterback Daniel Jones exorbitant salaries.

Jones played his way out of the team with a terrible 2024 season; He was later released and then signed to the Vikings’ practice squad.

Big Blue enters Sunday with the Eagles’ reverse record (3-13) and is currently projected to go fourth in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Eagles’ starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, is still dealing with a concussion and is also not expected to play in a meaningless game for the division winners, who are seeded No. 2 and will face either the Commanders or the Packers in the Wild Card round will be received.

While this news is good for those hoping the Giants aren’t embarrassed by Barkley, it could be bad for Giants fans hoping for a higher draft pick.

Big Blue could face mostly replacement players in a game that has no bearing on Philadelphia’s playoff seeding, and the Colts’ upset last week showed the Giants can still put together a strong performance.

With a win, Big Blue could fall all the way to No. 9 in the 2025 NFL Draft.