Saquon Barkley Told Sirianni ‘Let the Other Guys Eat,’ Instead of Chasing Career-High

Saquon Barkley's single-game high in rushing yards came on Dec. 22, 2019 against the franchise now called the Washington Commanders, as he rushed for 189 yards late in his second season for the New York Giants. 

He had a chance to surpass that total and potentially reach 200+ rushing yards for the first time in his career Sunday. Instead, he politely declined. 

After a 28-3 win over the Giants, Nick Sirianni relayed an exchange he had with Barkley on the sideline in the fourth quarter. 

"You know, that was on our mind, because I got the word from the box that he was close to his career-high," Sirianni said. "And I sat there with him and I said 'Listen, here's where you are and here's what it is.'

"And he looked at me and said ... I mean, this gives me chills to think about like this guy is such a great teammate and all he cares about is winning ... and he looked at me and said 'Let the other guys eat.'" 

"Let the other guys EAT!"

Sirianni talks about Saquon Barkley' selflessness against the Giants pic.twitter.com/hiTwvw7beQ

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 20, 2024

Barkley spent much of the fourth quarter on the sideline, instead settling for 176 rushing yards on 17 carries, the second-highest single-game total of his career. Across his first six games as an Eagle, Barkley has recorded two of the top six single-game rushing performances in his career, as he rushed for 147 yards in a Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints. 

Still, passing up on individual accolades — particularly in a stadium that booed him every time he touched the ball in the first quarter — is pretty impressive. It does speak to Barkley being a good teammate, and it allowed Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley to get 21 total carries. 

It's also probably a positive for the Eagles to limit Barkley's workload when they get the chance, because he has an injury history, and it's evident that if the Eagles are going to go anywhere in 2024, it's probably going to be because their running back ends up as a candidate for Offensive Player of the Year. 

Eagles Takeaways: Saquon Barkley Has Monster Game in Return to NY

From @TimKellySports ⬇️https://t.co/uqwMojEbtV

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) October 20, 2024