It has been quite the season for the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley. After the New York Giants decided to move on from him last season, signed with our NFC rivals, the Eagles (already onto something great under the leadership of Jalen Hurts) became even more dynamic. And in his first season with the team, Barkley had an opportunity to break the single season rushing record. It was last broken by Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson in 1984 at 2,105 yards. With the NFL regular season recently coming to a close on Jan. 5, Barkley was benched. Citing wanting to have him healthy for the playoffs, the Eagles decided that going for the record just wasn’t beneficial to the team’s long-term goals.
In what I would only term as a bummer, Barkley lost an opportunity to put himself in the history books forever. That’s especially true if the Eagles don’t go all the way during his tenure with the team. But there’s another layer to this that’s deeper. It’s about the position of running back in the NFL. Your lifespan as a running back in the league is pretty short for most players. Your prime is a lot shorter and by the age of 30, most teams aren’t looking to sign you to max deals. That’s because of the nature of the position, most running backs take a beating. Unlike other positions, they’re getting tackled on almost every possession. That makes them more susceptible to major injuries like ACL and Achilles tendon tears. When that happens, your mobility is marginally compromised, it changes the trajectory of your career.
This is why the opportunity for Barkley to break this record was so opportune. He is currently 27 years old and in the middle of his prime. Not to mention, he has done all of this, five years after tearing his ACL. I just feel he deserved an opportunity to individually celebrate this season with breaking this record. It’s a testament to his own diligence and drive.
Oftentimes, we see these clashes of what approaches are beneficial for a player versus what’s beneficial for a team. In the NBA, the term has been coined at “load management.” The fans don’t get what they want as teams seem to be looking at the bigger picture. That seems to be what’s at play here. For the sake of the Eagles, and the Eagles faithful, I hope this chess move works. Because if they’re not Super Bowl champions in February, was this all worth it?
