Saquon Barkley addresses the team’s decision to rest him for the final game of the season, causing him to miss out on a chance to break the NFL single-season rushing record.

The Philadelphia Eagles star told reporters on Wednesday that he was “disappointed” in head coach Nick Sirianni’s decision to hold him out of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. Barkley said he spoke to Siranni about the decision after last Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, and that he wasn’t too excited about it at the time but became more invested in breaking the record after falling asleep.

Now, he won’t get that chance and isn’t sure if he’ll ever get it again.

November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past Washington Commanders defenders on his way to a 39-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

“He asked me if I wanted to play, if I wanted to play, I said, on Sunday, I probably don’t care too much about it. When I sleep on it, it’s a chance to put my name in football history, I may never get a chance like that again. So I’m disappointed, but at the end of the day, I don’t care if we put the team at risk,” Barkley said.

Barkley said he also told his family about the situation and they wanted him to break the record more than he did.

“Obviously, I told my family,” Barkley said. Maybe my family wants it a little more than I do.”

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November 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs off the field after a win over the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. (Image: Eric Hartline-Imagn)

Barkley, however, accepts the decision and is more invested in being ready to help his team win the playoffs.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games and winning the playoffs, and I have a bigger goal in mind,” Barkley said.