Saquon Barkley has left little doubt that he’s a team guy, but it’s costing some people money.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back sacrificed the opportunity to break the NFL’s longstanding rushing yards record by sitting out the last game of the regular season. His selflessness was on display again on Sunday night as he passed up the opportunity to score what would have been his only touchdown during the Wild Card showdown vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Barkley broke free of the Packers’ defense in the final minute of the contest, but instead of dashing for the end zone, he slid to the ground to ensure there would be no way back for Green Bay. The decision was a smart one and was described as a “classy move” in the FOX booth, but it was also a painful bad beat for folks who placed bets on him scoring at least one TD at some point.
According to ESPN, that particular bet was the third-most popular of all NFL parlays on Sunday. The network’s betting platform added that no other player prompted more wagers on that specific prop bet than Barkley.
He was also the most bet-on anytime touchdown scorer “across multiple sportsbooks.”
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Saquon Barkley Explained His Decision To Go Down
Leading 22-10 in the dying moments, the Eagles needed a first down more than they needed to score a touchdown. Barkley had nothing but green grass in front of him once he broke free on a second-and-six and would have punched in a 76-yarder had he kept running but decided to slide near the 40-yard line instead.
Jalen Hurts then took a knee to seal the win and secure progression to the Divisional Round, where the Eagles will play the Minnesota Vikings or Los Angeles Rams, depending on Monday night’s results.
Barkley would tell reporters his decision to hit the deck was to ensure he didn’t get injured, adding, “Only one stat matters, and that’s the column with the wins and losses.”
His explanation won’t make the betting losses any easier to take, however.