Saquon Barkley’s magical 2024 season with the Philadelphia Eagles continued on Sunday when he became the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards or more in the victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Barkley now has 2,005 rushing yards on the season after posting 167 on 31 carries in the Cowboys’ 41-7 rout that clinched the NFC East title for Philadelphia.
Barkley reached the milestone in the fourth quarter after a 23-yard run into Dallas territory gave him his 167th total for the day.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
Now the question is: Will the Eagles, who have already clinched their playoff berth, allow Barkley to chase Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,105) against his former New York Giants in Week 18?
It’s pretty normal for teams to rest their starters, but there’s an all-time story at stake for Barkley and that decision by head coach Nick Sirianni will be closely watched all week.
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Barkley already rushed for 176 yards earlier this season in his highly anticipated return to MetLife Stadium, the place he called home for the past six seasons before joining Philadelphia this offseason.
The choice to head south on I-95 has proven to be a smart one for Barkley, who is a favorite for the Offensive Player of the Year award given his high career total that could make even more history.
Barkley has 13 rushing touchdowns on the year, as well as two through the air, in addition to his 276 receiving yards on 31 receptions.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is tackled by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
Barkley’s previous record for rushing yards was 1,312 in 2022, the year he helped lead a team back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 campaign. And he did it behind a Giants offensive line for below average.
But he has thrived behind this Eagles front all season, and that was certainly needed with Jalen Hurts out of this game against the Cowboys due to a concussion suffered last week.
However, Barkley, despite all his efforts on Sunday, did not find any money. Instead, DeVonta Smith caught two touchdown passes, one from starter Kenny Pickett and the other from Tanner McKee, who replaced Pickett after an injury, and AJ Brown added one himself.
Pickett was also pushed into the end zone in the Eagles’ dominant performance.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley walks from the tunnel for a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Bill Streicher-Imagn)
At 13-3, the Eagles are poised for another Super Bowl run, but perhaps there’s more story behind No. 26’s brilliant performance in 2024.
