Saquon Barkley’s phone buzzed in his locker stall with no one around to hear. Just before the halftime whistle of the Eagles’ penultimate regular-season game, the running back received a text message from longtime trainer Moe Gibson that he wouldn’t see until hours later.

Barkley was made inactive for Sunday's game against his former team. After a conversation with Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni early this week, the Eagles decided they didn't want to risk an injury to the 2024 NFL rushing leader in a game with zero meaning for the team.

Now is not the time, Saquon Barkley says. Reflection comes at the end of this season, no matter the meaningfulness of its milestones. He’s resisting the sound of them toppling like towers. He won’t peek at the panorama of his production.