Nick Sirianni has one unbeatable argument for sitting Saquon Barkley in Week 18

With a commanding 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles officially have nothing left to play for during the 2024 regular season. The winner of the Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions showdown is guaranteed to finish atop the conference at 15-2, while the loser will settle for a Wild Card spot — meaning that no matter what Philly does against the New York Giants this weekend, Nick Sirianni's team is guaranteed to finish as the second seed in the NFC playoffs.

Instead, the only suspense left for Week 18 was personal: With Saquon Barkley just 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, would Sirianni let his star running back risk injury or play it safe and give his starters an extra week of rest? On New Year's Day, we appeared to get our answer, as reports surfaced that Barkley and several other key Eagles starters would sit out the game against New York.

Barkley himself is just fine with the decision, having said repeatedly that decisions about his playing time are up to Sirianni and Philly's front office and that he fully supports whatever they think is best for the team moving forward. And while fans will certainly be disappointed that they won't get to watch their MVP candidate make a run at history (and twist the knife in their arch rival up I-95), Sirianni only has to look a few months into the past to realize that the best thing for everyone involved is to chain Barkley to the bench.

Nick Sirianni, Eagles know all too well how one injury can ruin a season

There may not have been history on the line, but the Eagles found themselves in a similar situation in Week 18 of last season. Philly could technically have leapfrogged the Cowboys for the NFC East title with a win and a Dallas loss, and opted to play all of their starters ... only for disaster to strike almost immediately.

The Cowboys rolled to an easy win over the hapless Commanders, a predictable outcome. The Eagles, meanwhile, lost 27-10 to New York, while losing both QB Jalen Hurts and WR AJ Brown to injury. Hurts would recover in time for the team's Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Bucs, but Brown sat out with a knee problem, one of many things that undid Philly in an embarrassing 32-9 loss that nearly cost Sirianni his job.

This time around, there's even less on the line for the Eagles as a time, without even the faintest chance to grab the No. 1 overall seed. And opting to play Barkley doesn't happen in a vacuum; it also means playing Philly's entire first-team offensive line to block for him, putting several more critical players at risk of injury. It's understandable for fans, coaches, teammates and of course Barkley himself to want a shot at history. But it seems like everyone involved learned their lesson the way last season ended, and is determined to put a playoff run over the record books.