PHILADELPHIA -- The chase to Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record is well within reach for Saquon Barkley, courtesy of another standout performance in a blowout victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Needing 162 yards to get to 2,000 on the season, Barkley finished with 167 yards on the afternoon to give him 2,005 rushing yards for the year.
Barkley is the ninth player to hit the 2,000-yard milestone for rushing yards in a season, achieving the feat in 16 games. He passed O.J. Simpson for eighth in rushing yards in a season in NFL history, and sits just 1 yard behind Chris Johnson (2,006) for seventh and three behind Terrell Davis (2,008) for the sixth-most rushing yards in a season.
As for Dickerson? Barkley is just 100 yards away from matching Dickerson's record of 2,105, which he set in 1984. Barkley needs just 101 yards to pass Dickerson for the single-season mark, and has one more game to accomplish the feat.
"I'm not going to lie, but just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot," Barkley said. "But at the same time, I wouldn't be able to do that without this team. Like I said, you can't be great without the greatness of others, and I'm just happy I was able to be a part of the team and be able to reach a milestone like that."
2,000-yard rushers in season -- NFL history
| Player | Yards | Year |
|---|---|---|
Eric Dickerson (Rams) | 2,105 | 1984 |
2,097 | 2012 | |
Jamal Lewis (Browns) | 2,066 | 2003 |
Barry Sanders (Lions) | 2,053 | 1997 |
2,027 | 2020 | |
Terrell Davis (Broncos) | 2,008 | 1998 |
Chris Johnson (Titans) | 2,006 | 2009 |
Saquon Barkley (Eagles) | 2,005 | 2024 |
O.J. Simpson (Bills) | 2,003 | 1973 |
Barkley is on pace to beat Dickerson's record, as he averages 125.3 rushing yards per game. At that current pace, Barkley would finish with 2,130 rushing yards on the season -- passing Dickerson by 25 yards for the all-time mark.
Dickerson's record has stood for 40 years, and he admitted he doesn't want Barkley to surpass his single-season record. Barkley agreed with Dickerson after the victory, sharing the same sentiment.
"If you had a record, would you want me to break your record?" Barkley said. "I don't look at it that way. I haven't broken records -- I guess I have this year, technically, with the Eagles franchise -- but if 10 years from now, or next year, three years, however long when I'm done playing football, if a back is able to beat my Eagles franchise record, or say, if I did break ED's record, I [would say], 'Go ahead and get it, it's fun.'
"You want to be that. It's an honor to have your name attached to that record and having guys chasing it. Guys have been chasing that record for 40 years. So, I don't see it as a shot. I don't see it as throwing shade. You shouldn't want me to break your record. That's how I look at it."
The Eagles have clinched the NFC east and the No. 2 seed in the conference, no longer in contention for the No. 1 seed after the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers (Eagles needed Minnesota and the Detroit Lions to lose this week). They have nothing to play for in Week 18, yet Barkley is just 101 yards away from history.
"The way I look at it, if it's in God's plan, then it is," Barkley said. "I'm not overly trying to go get it. I'm not scared of it. I would love to, but at the end of the day, also, we've got bigger things that we're focusing on, and we're able to clinch the division right here, whether we play next week or not.
"Rest, I'm fine with that too, because I didn't come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record. I want to do something special, meaning special with the team."
