NFL
When could Saquon Barkley break the NFL single season rushing yards record? This is how many yards he needs
The Eagles RB is close to Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. We look at Philadelphia’s schedule and the members of the 2000-yard club.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is close to becoming a member of the NFL’S fabled 2000-yard club - an elite group of just eight players who have surpassed the magical figure in rushing yards during a regular season.
Barkley could even set a new league record - overtaking the figure of 2,105 rushing yards set by legendary Los Angeles Rams RB Eric Dickerson across 16 games in 1984. Dickerson took the record from OJ Simpson, who finished the 1973 season with 2,003 rushing yards - having played two games less.
Players who have rushed for 2,000+ yards in one NFL season
- 2,003 O J Simpson (1973: Buffalo Bills)
- 2,105 Eric Dickerson (1984: Los Amgeles Rams)
- 2,053 Barry Sanders (1997: Detroit Lions)
- 2,008 Terrell Davis (1998: Denver Broncos)
- 2,066 Jamal Lewis (2003: Baltimore Ravens)
- 2,006 Chris Johnson (2009: Tennessee Titans)
- 2,097 Adrian Peterson (2012: Minnesota Vikings)
- 2,027 Derrick Henry (2020: Tennessee Titans)
How many rushing yards does Saquon Barkley have in 2024?
Now Barkley is on the cusp of making history. The 26-year-old had racked up a total of 1,838 rushing yards this season. In Week 11, he became the ninth player to record the most rushing yards in one NFL game - curiously against Dickerson’s old team. He finished with 255 yards in the 37-20 win over the Rams - a career high.
The All-American, 2018 Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler needs 268 rushing yards in the Eagles' final two regular season games to break Dickerson’s NFL record.
When could Saquon Barkley break the NFL record?
The chances of him doing so are high looking at the schedule. Philadelphia are at home to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, then bring the regular season to a close against the team with the worst record in the league, the New York Giants.
In his last two games, Barkley rushed for 150 yards against the Commanders and 65 yards against the Steelers - two teams that are much stronger defensively than their next rivals. The Penn State graduate has finished with 100+ rushing yards in 10 games this season and he will need to reproduce that kind of form against Dallas and the Giants.
The only factor that could ruin his chances of the record is if head coach Nick Sirianni opts to exclude Barkley for the final game, so that the player is fully rested for the Wild Card Weekend.