December 30, 2024
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Saquon Barkley is only 100 yards away from the NFL's all-time single-season rushing record.
Saquon Barkley sat at the press conference podium with a division champs hat and t-shirt on, something he's never gotten to do before in his NFL career.
And he sat there with 2,005 rushing yards for the season, with one more game to play and Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record just 100 yards away, a spot that no NFL player has been in since Adrian Peterson took a run at the record back in 2012.
The Eagles beat the rival Dallas Cowboys, 41-7, on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley, once again, put in a big day with 31 carries for 167 rushing yards, the last of which he took for 23 yards early into the fourth quarter to cross him over into the 2K club – to swarms of congrats from his Eagles teammates and roaring "M-V-P!" chants from the Kelly green crowd of Philly faithfuls.
His teammates and coaches were keeping track of the number as the game wore on and wanted to see him hit 2,000, the stadium no doubt did, too, and that all meant a lot, Barkley said afterward. But now comes the week-long debate of whether the Eagles should let their star running back go for the whole thing.
He doesn't need a lot now to reach Dickerson's mark of 2,105 yards, not by the incredible standards he has set with this season, and with a Giants defense he has already torn through on deck for the Week 18 finale back in South Philly.
But the thing is, with Sunday's thrashing of Dallas, the Eagles, as a team, captured everything they needed to go after much greater.
They clinched the NFC East and the NFC's No. 2 seed in the playoffs after the Vikings beat the Packers later on Sunday.
And their goal is the Super Bowl, and in between now and what will be a grueling road in the postseason trying to get there sits what can be a valuable week of rest for the starters.
There's a decision to be made here, and one that might not have any true right answer, but Barkley said he'll be OK with whatever the call is.
Saquon Barkley is just the 9th player in NFL history to reach 2,000+ rushing yards‼️@saquon | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/3o7SCoMWO0
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 29, 2024
If he plays against the Giants next Sunday and gets that last shot to go for the record, that's fine. He'll go for it.
"I'm not overly trying to go get it," Barkley told the media within Lincoln Financial Field's conference room. "I'm not scared of it, I would love to."
But if he and the rest of the first-stringers sit and rest up – and keep the injury risk to a minimum – that's OK, too. The Eagles have much bigger goals in mind, and so does he.
"It's up to [head coach Nick Sirianni], to be honest," Barkley 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 mindest is 'Let's rest and get ready for this run,' then I'm all for that, too.
"I'm not just saying that because a camera's in my face, a mic's in my face, I really mean that. I came here to do something special. Obviously breaking a record is special, but I want a banner up there. I think we all do."
And Barkley and the Eagles have set themselves up well enough to go get one. This next week is just a matter of if there's a sound way to still make that chase while nabbing a major milestone in NFL history, too.
Sirianni, when he took his turn with the media postgame, said he couldn't commit to any plan yet.
"We want to win our first playoff game and our second playoff game, all the way to the end," Sirianni said. "So we'll take that one game at a time.
"I'll do what I think is necessary and best for the team to put ourselves in that position, but I also am very sensitive to records and all the things there. We'll see how it goes. I don't know yet, but we'll always do what's best for these guys."
Whatever puts a banner up there.
"Whether we play next week or not and rest, I'm fine with that," Barkley said. "I didn't come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record. I want to do something special, meaning special with the team."
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