Individual records are great. Championships reflect true greatness.
In the NFL, is there anything else that matters?
The Philadelphia Eagles were still in contention for a No. 1 seed with a 41-7 blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 — by the end of the day they were locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs thanks to the Minnesota Vikings defeating the Green Bay Packers.
That means no bye and no home field advantage throughout the playoffs. That means an extra week of rest, if they want it, for key starters in a Week 18 home game against the New York Giants.
That means the Eagles, even with star running back and NFL MVP candidate Saquon Barkley just 101 yards from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, should sit Barkley for the finale. He’s too valuable to risk an injury in a meaningless game, regardless of whatever record he might break.
“The coaching staff decided to keep Barkley in the game in the fourth quarter despite Philadelphia being well ahead,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on December 29. “He was handed the ball on five straight plays, the last being a 23-yard scamper down the left side that put him over 2,000 yards.”
Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to pass 2,000 rushing yards in a single season after rushing for 167 yards on 31 carries against the Cowboys.
Were Barkley to play and try to break the record and somehow get injured, it would be the type of mistake that would live on through the years — an individual pursuit of a record that sacrificed a potential Super Bowl season. And no Eagles fan would ever forget it.
Barkley Has Been Revelation for Philly in 2024
Barkley has been nothing short of a revelation for the Eagles in his first year with the team after he signed a 3-year, $37.75 million free agent contract in March 2024.
Barkley was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Giants and played 2023 with a franchise tag that paid him $10.091 million. In 6 seasons with the Giants, Barkley rushed for over 1,000 yards 3 times and was a 2-time Pro Bowler — he was NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 when he surpassed 2,000 yards from scrimmage with 1,307 rushing yards and 721 receiving yards.
In 2024, Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and has averaged 5.8 yards per carry — easily breaking the Eagles’ single-season rushing record. He also has 33 receptions for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Not Everyone Sold on Barkley Breaking Record
Not everyone has been super psyched about Barkley potentially breaking the NFL’s single season rushing record — most notably the man who currently owns the record.
Dickerson broke the record in 1984 in 16 games with the Los Angeles Rams. The NFL expanded the regular-season schedule to 17 games in 2021.
“I don’t think he’ll break it. But if he breaks it, he breaks it,” Dickerson said in a Q&A with Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times on December 26. “Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not. I don’t pull no punches on that. But I’m not whining about it. He had 17 games to do it? Hey, football is football. That’s the way I look at it. If he’s fortunate to get over 2,000 yards and get the record, it’s a great record to have.”
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Eagles Urged to Sit RB Saquon Barkley Despite NFL Record Pursuit