Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley needs 268 yards over the next two games to set the NFL single-season rushing yards record.
One person Barkley won’t set a mark on is current record holder Eric Dickerson.
“I don’t think he’ll break it. But if he breaks it, he’ll break it,” Dickerson told the Los Angeles Times this week. “Do I want him to tear it up? Absolutely not. I’m not pulling any punches on that.
“But I’m not whining about it. Did he have 17 games to get it done? Hey, football is football. That’s the way I look at it. If he’s lucky Even if you can get over 2,000 yards, that’s a great record.” “
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Dickerson set a rushing record in 1984 with 2,105 yards in 16 games. Barkley has 1,838 yards through 15 games, just below his average record-breaking pace (2,083 yards).
However, with Jalen Hurts being treated for a concussion and missing Week 17, the Eagles will use a free agent this offseason to play a bigger role against the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Dickerson said there’s a possibility of repayment, including potentially acquiring an agent’s marquee player — Barkley’s former team and an opportunity for some players.
“How ironic that he would break the record of the team that let him go,” Dickerson said of the Week 18 matchup. “It’s just a slap in the face.”
Dickerson praised Barkley, calling him “elusive, tough, hard-driving” and “a great player.”
And if Barkley sets a record, Dickerson said he can rest on a new record that he believes will be the hardest to break.
“I’ve always said, the longest lasting thing is me setting a rookie record with 1,808 (yards),” he said. “Because you only get one chance. You only get one chance as a rookie.”
