Saquon Barkley knew that he could break the Eagles’ single-season rushing record on Sunday with a performance like the one he has become known for in his first season in Philadelphia.
However, Barkley wasn’t sure when exactly he would reach that milestone—until the “MVP!” chants filled the air after a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“The records are great, they put a smile on your face,” Barkley said, “but the season is far from over.”
Barkley needed 109 yards to break LeSean McCoy’s record, and he ran for 124 yards, bringing his season total to 1,623 yards in the Eagles’ 22-16 win over Carolina.
It only took Barkley 13 games to surpass McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He also passed Wilbert Montgomery, who had 1,512 yards in 1978.
“I never wrote the goal down to break it,” Barkley said. “You’re always aware of it. That’s how I train. That’s how I operate in the offseason. I want to be great.”
Barkley is also on track to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, which was set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.
“That would be extremely cool to do,” Barkley said. “If it happens, it happens, and not with the mindset of, I’m scared to go try to do it. Whatever it takes to win football games.”
Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. If he keeps up this pace and plays one more game than Dickerson did, he could become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards in the final four games to break Dickerson’s 40-year-old record.
He averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 20 attempts against the Panthers, helping the Eagles win their ninth consecutive game.
McCoy, who was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame this season, is still the franchise’s rushing leader with 6,792 yards. McCoy, referencing his old uniform number, congratulated Barkley on social media, saying “a lot of love, coming from 2-5.”
“Being a fan of Shady’s growing up, and seeing the spectacular things he was able to do with the ball in his hand, to be able to have my name mentioned with him definitely means a lot,” Barkley said.
Barkley left the New York Giants in the offseason and signed a three-year deal worth $26 million guaranteed with the Eagles, making him the highest-paid running back in franchise history.
At 27 years old, Barkley has lived up to the money.
Barkley is one of the favorites for league MVP, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only player with better MVP odds before Sunday’s games.
Barkley has set a franchise record with nine 100-yard rushing games in a season. Though he didn’t score a touchdown on Sunday, he entered the game leading the league with four rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards.
Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, has rushed for more than 1,000 yards three times in his six seasons with the Giants. He finished with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 and ran for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who had been hesitant to spend on top-tier running backs, moved quickly to sign Barkley, and the decision has been widely celebrated in Philadelphia since the start of the season.
Barkley rushed for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass in the season opener against Green Bay. His three touchdowns were the most by an Eagles player in his debut since Terrell Owens in 2004.
Barkley has continued to impress with his performance and popularity, highlighted by a memorable reverse leap over a Jacksonville defender last month.
He has now passed every running back ahead of him on the Eagles’ rushing list and is on track to make NFL history.
