Sirianni undecided on Barkley status but points to '21 Smith call - ESPN

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni hasn't decided whether he'll let Saquon Barkley attempt to break the NFL's single-season rushing record Sunday but he says he'll talk to everyone in the organization, including owner Jeffrey Lurie, before making that call.

Barkley needs 101 yards to break Eric Dickerson's NFL record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984, but the Eagles (13-3) have clinched the NFC East division title and are locked into the NFC's No. 2 seed. That makes Sunday's game against the New York Giants a prime chance for Sirianni to rest his starters in anticipation of the Eagles' wild-card playoff game the following week.

«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.

With one game left, Saquon Barkley is just 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL record for rushing yards in a season.

Sirianni said the question he asks himself is, «What's the best thing for the team and then also what's the best things for the individuals going for the record?»

Sirianni's next media availability will be Wednesday where it's possible he will announce his decision on the playing status for Barkley and the Eagles' other starters.

Although he hasn't yet made any decisions, he did point out that he played wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the 2021 season finale so he could break DeSean Jackson's franchise rookie receiving yards record but rested other players. Smith caught three passes for 41 yards in the finale against the Dallas Cowboys to finish with 916 yards on the season