Saquon Barkley Becomes NFL’s 9th Player to Rush for 2,000 Yards in a Season

Add Saquon Barkley to the annals of NFL history.

The standout running back for the Philadelphia Eagles became the ninth player in NFL history to amass 2,000 yards in a single season on Sunday. Against the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter, he achieved the milestone.

He ended the game with 167 yards and the season with 2,005 after a 23-yard rush to the Dallas 23. The Eagles scored a touchdown as a result, increasing Philadelphia’s advantage to 41-7.

As the Eagles won 41-7 to secure the NFC East, Barkley finished his day on the bench for Philadelphia’s subsequent possession.

O.J. Simpson (2,003 yards in 1973), Terrell Davis (2,008 yards in 1998), Adrian Peterson (2,097 yards in 2012), Derrick Henry (2,027 yards in 2020), Barry Sanders (2,053 yards in 1997), Adrian Dickerson (2,105 yards in 1984), and Chris Johnson (2,006 yards in 2009) are the other running backs with 2,000-yard seasons.

Barkley’s incredible comeback after joining the Eagles

Barkley, 27, has previously had incredible seasons. After six NFL seasons with the New York Giants, he never came close to the success of his rookie season with the Eagles.

Barkley’s 2022 rushing total was 1,312 yards, which was his previous career high. During that season, he averaged 82 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. He gained 1,307 yards on the ground in 2018 as a rookie, averaging 5 yards per run and 81.7 yards per game.

Playing behind bad offensive lines on a Giants squad that has been among the worst in the league since he entered the NFL, Barkley also experienced his share of setbacks. There were rumors that he had lost the explosiveness that made him one of the NFL’s top playmakers early in his career after he twice averaged less than 4 yards per rush (3.7 in 2021 and 3.9 in 2023).

Playing behind Philadelphia’s powerful offensive line for a season convinced his skeptics. Now, one of the best rushing seasons in NFL history has resulted from the combination. Barkley has averaged 125.3 rushing yards per game on 5.8 yards per carry, which is by far the best total of his career, with Sunday’s total of 31 carries for 167 yards.

Will Barkley break Dickerson’s record vs. Giants?

With one week left in the regular season, Barkley is still within striking distance of the league’s single-season running record. Dickerson’s 2,105-yard 1984 season with the Los Angeles Rams set that mark. In a season with 16 games, he achieved the accomplishment. After 16 games, Barkley is 100 yards behind Dickerson.

Barkley’s availability to play against his former Giants in Week 18 is uncertain. With the little. 2 spot in the NFC playoffs certain and little chance to win the No. 1 seed, the Eagles may wind up resting important starters. In his 17th game of the season, he will have an opportunity to overtake Dickerson if he does.