Sitting Saquon Barkley During the Philadelphia Eagles Regular-Season Finale Is Absolutely the Right Decision

We're just being selfish. We want cake, and we want to eat it. Team needs come first. There's no denying that, but there are times when we ask ourselves questions

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will sit out Sunday's regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

The decision was made to rest Barkley, who is 11 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing record, in order to avoid the risk of injury.

The Eagles have already clinched the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the conference, so they have nothing to play for in Week 18.

Meanwhile, Barkley is chasing a massive payday. He has already earned $750,000 in bonuses for leading the NFL in rushing and earning a Pro Bowl selection.

However, Barkley can still earn an additional $1.25 million in playoff bonuses if he continues to perform well.

Those bonuses include $500,000 for being named All-Pro, $250,000 for reaching the NFC Championship Game, $250,000 for winning the Super Bowl, and $250,000 for achieving various playoff milestones.

The record-breaking season comes after Barkley had a down year in 2022 with the New York Giants, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry and failing to reach 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the first time in his career.

The Giants declined to pick up Barkley's fifth-year option for 2023, making him a free agent. He ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Eagles.