Saquon Barkley had an opportunity to set the single-season rushing record, needing just 101 yards to pass Eric Dickerson in the season's final game. Barkley stayed at 2,005 rushing yards, as the Philadelphia Eagles had nothing to play for in the final week of the regular season -- having the NFC East title and No. 2 seed locked up.
Dickerson's record stands, but the Hall of Fame running back wanted to see Barkley have an opportunity to break it.
"If you have a record, you want to hold onto them. They're hard to get," Dickerson said on the Let's Go! podcast on SiriusXM. "But I did talk to Saquon. I gave him a call to congratulate him on going into the 2,000-yard club.
"I told him I would've liked to see him play at least a half to see if he had a chance to get it. But I understand the most important thing is winning the Super Bowl. It's not about records."
Barkley was the ninth running back to enter the 2,000-yard club, and was the first player to have a legitimate shot at getting the single-season rushing record since Dickerson had a shot at passing O.J. Simpson's mark with two games to play in 1984. Dickerson was able to pass Simpson with a game remaining, and is still the only player with 2,100 rushing yards in a regular season (2,105).
Only one player that has rushed for 2,000 yards in a season has won the Super Bowl that season (Terrell Davis in 1998). Davis' postseason run was one of the greatest for a running back in NFL history, and he remains the league's all-time rushing yards leader in the postseason.
Dickerson wants to see Barkley make something of this 2,000-yard campaign, and the Eagles have a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl. The NFL single-season leader for rushing yards never had an opportunity to play in a Super Bowl, only making the conference championship game once.
"Like I told him, I said, 'Look, I would trade that 2,000 yards for a Super Bowl in a heartbeat.' That's a no-brainer because football is the ultimate team sport. It's not about the individual.
"If you get some records along the way, great, that's fine."
Barkley still has an opportunity to have the most rushing yards in a season. Terrell Davis has the most rushing yards in a season (including playoffs) with 2,476, so Barkley is 472 yards away from passing the mark.
A deep playoff run will challenge Davis' mark, which is what Dickerson hopes for Barkley.