New York Giants Expected to Rest Starters in Week 18

The New York Giants are locked into the sixth seed in the NFC and have nothing to play for but pride in their Week 18 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Apparently, that isn't enough to send out their starters. The Giants are not expected to play several key players on Sunday.

Brian Daboll seems likely to rest several key Giants starters at Eagleshttps://t.co/lHHgdTkfOk
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 2, 2023

The Giants could hypothetically cost their NFC rival Philadelphia Eagles the number one seed with a win this week, but that evidently isn't enough of a motivating factor to risk key players. Nothing the Giants can do will alter their seed.

Players the Giants could rest include running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones, who the Giants both reportedly envision as significant parts of the future. Barkley has remained unusually healthy this season, starting 16 games for the first time since his rookie season, but given his injury history (21 missed games from 2019 to 2021), it makes sense not to push the star back to the limit.

As for Jones, he has typically missed multiple games a season, so it makes sense for him to sit as well. He has absorbed 44 sacks and rushed the ball 120 times this year, so he sports an impact-heavy play style that could easily result in injury or just more accumulated wear and tear. A week of rest will give him his best chance to play effectively in the Wildcard round.