Nick Sirianni says he’s ‘still not there’ on decision to rest Eagles starters for season finale against Giants

One day after the Eagles landed the NFC’s No. 2 seed for the playoffs, coach Nick Sirianni said he’s “still not there” on a decision to rest or play the starters in the season finale against the New York Giants on Sunday.

The fourth-year head coach gave the players the day off Monday after their 41-7 rout of the Dallas Cowboys, an arrangement that has become atypical for the 13-3 Eagles. With the players out of the building, Sirianni said he would not disclose the plan for the starters publicly before telling the team first.

“Still sorting through things right now at this particular moment,” Sirianni said Monday.

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The lack of a decision, for now, adds further suspense to whether Saquon Barkley will have an opportunity to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record set in 1984. The star running back ran for 167 yards on 31 carries against the Cowboys, becoming the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

With 2,005 rushing yards through 16 games, Barkley is 101 away from breaking Dickerson’s record. However, a game off for the starters would provide a respite ahead of the playoffs, with the Eagles slated to take on the No. 7 seed (either the Washington Commanders or the Green Bay Packers) in the wild-card round.

Jalen Hurts, who missed Sunday’s game with a concussion he suffered against the Commanders, is in a unique position compared to the rest of the offensive starters. While Sirianni had “no new information” on whether Hurts is still in concussion protocol, he said he will “take everything into account” when deciding if the fourth-year starter would benefit from some amount of game action ahead of the playoffs if he is cleared to play.

“Try to do the best thing for the team and try to do the best thing for each individual player as well,” Sirianni said. “So that’s where we’ll be. No decisions yet on anything.”

Sirianni also would not disclose whether Kenny Pickett’s injured ribs would prohibit the backup from seeing playing time on Sunday. The 27-year-old quarterback initially hurt his ribs in Week 16 against the Commanders, an injury he played through on Sunday. Cumulative hits knocked Pickett out of the game in the third quarter.

After the game, Pickett said he would undergo tests on his ribs. Still, he said he will be “OK” going forward. Sirianni said “we’ll see where he is as the week continues” before making a decision on his status against the Giants.

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“It just shows you how tough of a competitor he is and how tough of a person he is that he went out and did those things,” Sirianni said of Pickett’s play against the Cowboys. “So really excited for him of how he played. I’m sure he’s sore. I’ll let him answer that. Again, don’t have that information. But I’m sure he is.”

The Eagles’ substantial lead by the fourth quarter allowed for the second- and third-string players to earn unprecedented playing time. Tanner McKee stood out in his regular-season debut, completing 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns.

The team could be in a similar situation Sunday if Sirianni decides to keep the starters on ice heading into the playoffs. He expressed an understanding of the long-term benefit for the backups when they have a chance to see the field.

“Again, don’t know obviously where we are yet with that,” Sirianni said. “But any time anybody’s able to play game reps and meaningful snaps in the NFL, that’s huge. Gives you an evaluation process. It gives those guys an opportunity that haven’t gotten an opportunity to play in meaningful reps.”

Sirianni acknowledged that his experience could help inform his decision on whether the starters will play on Sunday. At the same time, he said every team requires a different approach. In 2021, the Eagles were locked into the No. 7 seed ahead of their final game of the regular season against the Cowboys, so Sirianni rested Hurts and a number of key starters.

The following year, the Eagles clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over the Giants in the season finale, which required their starters to play. Last season, the Eagles did not control their own destiny for the No. 2 seed, so the starters came out against the Giants once the Cowboys were trending toward a win over the Commanders that clinched the NFC East.

Still, in the first half of that game, Hurts injured the right middle finger on his throwing hand and A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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“Every year’s a little different, has been a little different,” Sirianni said. “It’s still not a handbook of like, ‘Hey, if we’re in this, I’m going to do that, and if we’re in this, we’ll do that.’ Every team’s a little bit different.

“But you’ve got to feel where your team is and those different things to make the best decision for the 2024 Eagles and the individuals on that team.”