Philadelphia Eagles Should Have Let Saquon Barkley Try for NFL Record | SHIELDS
Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley has flourished in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles after spending his first six seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants.
Barkley already set the record for the most rushing yards by a player in their first year on a new NFL team this past weekend.
Barkley has rushed for 2,005 yards this season, becoming only the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a single season.
With one game to go in the regular season, Barkley is exactly 100 yards away from Eric Dickerson’s NFL record of 2,105 rushing yards in a single season. One potential obstacle to Barkley’s chance to set the single-season rushing record is that the Philadelphia Eagles are locked into the second seed in the NFC playoffs, which may incentivize head coach Nick Sirianni and the Eagles’ coaching staff to rest Barkley in the season finale against the Giants to avoid injury and prepare for the playoffs.
Philadelphia’s success in clinching one of the NFC’s top spots seems to have robbed Barkley as his chance, as Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has opted to rest the starters in Week 18.
Eagles Should Have Given Saquon Barkley Opportunity to Break the Record
Even with the Eagles locked into the second seed in this year’s playoffs, the team should have given Saquon the chance to break the record.
Opportunities to surpass long-standing NFL records like this are rare. Since 2000, only five players have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season. The Eagles’ coaching staff could allow Saquon to attempt breaking the record in the first half against the Giants while still resting him in the second half ahead of the playoffs.
The Giants rank 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. If Barkley carries the ball five to ten times in the first half, he might break the record without the need for 20+ carries.
Back in October, Barkley rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against the Giants.
Two weeks ago in Washington, Barkley surpassed 100 rushing yards before halftime.
Additionally, the narrative of Saquon breaking the all-time record in his first season after the Giants let him walk in free agency is too compelling to ignore.
After “Hard Knocks” exposed Giants GM Joe Schoen and the team for lowballing Barkley before free agency, Saquon has turned his exit from New York into one of the most remarkable seasons ever for an NFL running back. Breaking the NFL record against his former team would be the ultimate statement for the former Penn State star.
After Sunday’s game, Saquon also appeared content with either option, acknowledging the team’s larger aspirations beyond a regular-season rushing record.
“I’m not overly trying to go get it,” Barkley told reporters. “I’m not scared of it. I would love to, but at the end of the day, also, we’ve got bigger things that we’re focusing on, and we’re able to clinch the division right here, whether we play next week or not. Rest, I’m fine with that too, because 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.”
Allowing Barkley to pursue the record in the first half while resting him in the second half could have been the perfect balance for both the team and player’s goals this season.
Regardless, Barkley’s 2024 season will go down in history as one of the greatest ever for an NFL running back.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
- Why NFL Insiders, Analysts Urge Drew Allar to ‘Reconsider’ NFL Draft Decision
- Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen Run Into Penn State Record Book
- James Franklin Enters Uncharted Territory
A note to our readers; If you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission
