Saquon Barkley is not playing against the Giants, and his season ends with 2,005 rushing yards, 100 shy of Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season record.

Saquon Barkley was inactive Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles, denying the running back his chance at breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record. Jalen Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson were among the starters who sat out for the NFC East champion Eagles against the New York Giants.

The Eagles are resting Barkley and their starters because the team is locked into the no. 2 seed in the NFC playoff field with nothing to gain or lose as a result of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Giants. The Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers or the Washington Commanders in the NFC Wild Card round next week.

Philadelphia Eagles player Saquon Barkley addressed his team's decision to rest him in the last game of the season, skipping a chance to break a league record.

Former NFL coach Herm Edwards isn’t a fan of the sport’s risk-averse/player safety practice that occurs at the end of the regular season for playoff teams. For Edwards, now an ESPN NFL analyst, “football players play football,” not sit and watch when they’re healthy.

Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles walks the field prior to the game against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on January 05, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/) Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is officially inactive in Week 18.