Adam Schefter ‘would be floored’ if Saquon Barkley plays in Week 18 amid Eric Dickerson record chase

Saquon Barkley is 101 yards from history- the single-season rushing record in the NFL. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter does not think he’ll get the chance to break it in Week 18.

Schefter gave that opinion on Barkley’s availability for Philadelphia’s final game against the New York Giants this weekend while on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’. He said it would stun him if Barkley is playing again in this regular season, regardless of him being a game away from league history.

“I, as I said yesterday, as I said this week? I’d be floored if he played again until the playoffs,” Schefter stated. “I don’t care how close he is to Eric Dickerson’s record.”

Schefter is also basing that off of the Eagles’ handling of him just yesterday in their 41-7 win over Dallas. After the rush that got him over 2,000 yards on the season, he went to the sideline and didn’t play another snap against the Cowboys. That’s also based on what the league’s leading rusher and his head coach have said about the achievement, too.

“Well, we have not heard official word from the Eagles but I think that everything that they’ve said and done speaks volumes,” noted Schefter. “As soon as Saquon Barkley went over 2,000 yards yesterday and got to 2,003, he came right out of the game. They didn’t leave him in there to continue his chase of Eric Dickerson. They got him right out of the game after that run and he was put on ice. Now, he’s one of nine running backs in NFL history to go over 2,000.”

“After the game, they asked him about it and he’s like, ‘Hey, we’ve got bigger things in mind,'” Schefter added. “They’ve asked Nick Sirianni – ‘We’re not thinking about that.'”

Schefter said that it might be a decision if Philly was still playing for something else. With them having clinched the No. 2 seed, though, at 13-3 after winning the NFC East, Barkley, along with other players for the Eagles, has no need to go out there ahead of their playoff game.

“Again, everybody takes a different tact and different approaches. The Lions tonight? They’re going in. They’ve got work to do. That’s how they approach this. The Eagles? They’re not going to have a bye…They have the No. 2 seed,” said Schefter. “Might it have been different if they had put away the No. 1 seed? Maybe, maybe. That would have been a conversation, I guess.”

It’d be neat to see Barkley break the record, especially with his chance coming against his former franchise in the Giants. Still, Schefter doesn’t think Philadelphia will risk it with him in the one game before the postseason.

“I think that Saquon is going to be put in bubble wrap next week and then he’ll be unwrapped for the Wild Card game,” Schefter said. “I don’t think you’re risking putting out a 2,000-yard rusher in a meaningless game against the Giants no matter how close he is to Dickerson’s record.”