Nick Sirianni confirms Saquon Barkley will “probably” rest in Week 18

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters on Wednesday, and after talking to the team about his decision, he announced that they are going to rest some guys in the final regular season game of the season — and some guys will be active in a reserve role since they can’t rest everybody.

When asked if Saquon Barkley will be one of the players who is rested against the Giants, Sirianni said, “Yeah, he’ll probably be somebody that rests.”

The head coach went on to explain that having a very early bye week, in Week 5, contributed to the decision, noting that they’re fortunate to be in a position to have a break ahead of the postseason.

Some of the Eagles locker room is probably relieved by the decision, with Lane Johnson mentioning a couple times that it’s better to be safe than sorry, highlighting them losing A.J. Brown last season in Week 18. Still, Johnson and many of Barkley’s teammates also committed to helping the RB hit the all-time NFL rushing record if that was Sirianni’s choice.

Barkley already hit 2,000 rushing yards, set new franchise records for rushing yards and all-purpose yards, and has somehow exceeded even the highest expectations people had of him in his first season in Philly. Resting in Week 18 might keep him from topping the ultimate record, but there was no guarantee he would hit the mark, and his health heading into the playoffs has to be the priority.

Now we know. The Eagles are fully committed to a healthy postseason run, and that begins with getting some of their guys a much need break in a meaningless Week 18 game.