Saquon Barkley still on pace to break 40-year-old NFL rushing record
The former New York Giants running back has transformed into an MVP candidate in Philly on pace to break several rushing records this season.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley remains on pace to set a new NFL rushing record after yet another 100-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens.
Barkley put up 107 yards rushing Sunday night, despite the Ravens entering the game with the league’s second-best rushing defense. It’s the eighth time this season Barkley has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in a game in what has become an MVP-caliber season, transforming the Eagles into a legitimate Super Bowl contender with a chance of securing the NFC’s top playoff seed.
How many rushing yards does Saquon Barkley have this season?
Following Sunday’s win against the Ravens, Barkley has 1,499 yards rushing this season. He is averaging just a hair under 125 rushing yards per game, a pace that would put him at around 2,124 rushing yards for the season.
Barkley has already topped his career high of 1,312 rushing yards, which he racked up in 2022 with the Giants. He’s also tied his career mark of 11 touchdowns, which he set during his rookie year in 2018. And the Eagles still have five games remaining on their schedule.
Who holds the record for most rushing yards in a single season?
The record belongs to Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, who rushed 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984 during his second season in the NFL. At his current pace, Barkley would top Dickerson’s 40-year record by a hair under 20 yards.
Over the course of his 11-year career, Dickerson rushed for 13,259 yards, the ninth-most in NFL history. Former Cowboys great Emmitt Smith holds the all-time career NFL rushing record with 18,355 yards.
How many more rushing yards does Saquon Barkley need to break the record?
With five games remaining on the Eagles’ schedule, Barkley is trailing Dickerson’s record by 606 yards. So to top that, Barkley will have to average at least 122 yards rushing yards per game for the rest of the season.
Barkley and the Eagles could post big numbers against the Carolina Panthers this week, who are giving up an average of nearly 167 yards rushing per game, the worst in the NFL. But the Birds will face a stingy Pittsburgh Steelers defense in Week 15 allowing just 90 yards rushing per game, the fourth best in the NFL.
Barkley could also break a second NFL record
In addition to the NFL’s single-season rushing record, Barkley could also set a new NFL record for scrimmage yards in a season, though he’ll have to pick up the pace after posting just 10 receiving yards Sunday night.
Barkley’s at 1,766 total yards (rushing and passing) through 12 games. With five more games to play, if he continues at this same pace (about 147 yards per game), he’ll finish with 2,501 yards, just a shade below Chris Johnson’s record of 2,509 in 2009.
What is the Eagles’ record for most rushing yards in a season?
Barkley also passed Ricky Watters on the Eagles single-season rushing list Sunday, moving into third place.
LeSean McCoy set the Eagles single-season franchise record with 1,607 yards in 2013, which included his famed 217-yard run in the snow against the Detroit Lions. Then-head coach Chip Kelly traded McCoy to the Buffalo Bills following the 2014 season, where he eclipsed 1,000 yards twice before ending his career with one-year stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.