Saquon Barkley Eclipses 2,000-Yard Rushing Mark But Uncertain If He Can Catch Eric Dickerson Record

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The NFL scriptwriters are geniuses and the proof is this year’s Saquon Barkley story.

Accomplished NFL running back with a new team that needs help to keep from wilting as it did a year ago adds Barkley. And he not only helps that Philadelphia Eagles team win the NFC East title, but eclipses 2,000 yards in the process.

Barkley: ‘Definitely Means A Lot’

And he’s not only at 2,005 yards – bringing the total of NFL backs that surpassed 2,000 yards to nine – but he’s 101 yards from breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season rushing record of 2,105 set in 1984.

“I’m not going to lie,” Barkley said after Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. “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 that I grew up watching, definitely means a lot. But at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to do that without this team. Like I say, you can’t be great without the greatness of others, and I’m happy I was able to be a part of this team and reach a milestone like that.”

Barkley rushed for 167 yards on a season-high 31 carries. It was his third-highest rushing total in a game this season. 

That’s not all.

Barkley goes into the final week of the season with a chance to break the all-time record. And in that final week the Eagles play the New York Giants – the team that decided Barkley wasn’t worth a contract offer in the offseason before he signed with the Eagles.

Masterful, scriptwriters.

Barkley Fine With Playing Or Resting

Barkley has rushed for 2,005 yards on 345 carries this season. That’s an impressive 5.8 yards per rush. And if he keeps it up, he’ll obviously surpass Dickerson’s record.

But the question that must be answered before Barkley tries to break the record against his old team is whether he’ll be playing against his old team at all.

The Eagles, you see, clinched the NFC East title and the No. 2 overall seed in the postseason. So winning or losing next week is not going to improve their spot.

And that calls into question whether the team should play Barkley and risk him to injury. It’s a question even Barkley doesn’t have an answer for.

“The way I look at it is if it’s in God’s plan, then it is,” Barkley said. “I’m not overly trying to go get it. I’m scared of it. I would love to. But at the end of the day, also we got bigger things that we’re focusing on.

“Whether we play next week or rest, I’m fine with that, too. I didn’t come here and sign here to rush for 2,000 or break a record. I want to do something special, meaning special with the team.”

A Huge Decision For Nick Sirianni

And so Barkley is going to leave the decision to coach Nick Sirianni.

“It’s up to Nick, to be honest,” he said. “Whatever his decision is, I’m all for it. If his mindset is we’ll go out there and try it, then I’ll go out there and try it. But If his mindset is let’s rest and get ready for this run, I’m all for that, too. I’m not just saying that because the cameras are in my face or the mikes in my face.

“I really mean that.”

So, Nick, what about it? Are you going to let Barkley make the attempt at the record?

“Yeah, we’ll see,” Sirianni said. “We’ll see how things play out and we’ll see in a couple of days.”

Wait, what?

See what?

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Sirianni said. “And like I said, there’s some things, we’ll watch some games tonight and see how things are going. Yeah, we’ll do what we need to do, what’s right football team. I always got to do what’s right for the football team to reach our goals of what we need to do. And, like I said, I got a lot to think about and enjoy this, and I’ll think about it tonight at some point.”

So more intrigue.

The NFL scriptwriters are amazing.