Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is 312 yards away from becoming the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a single season. Through the first 14 games of the season, Barkley has carried the football 285 times for 1,688 yards, leading the NFL in rushing by over 200 yards.
Barkley needs to average 104 rushing yards over the final three games of the season to hit 2,000 yards on the season. However, if Barkley takes all three games to hit 2,000 yards, he would be the first player to hit that milestone over a 17-game season. All eight prior 2,000-yard rushers achieved the feat in 14 or 16 games, before the NFL schedule expanded to 17 games in 2021.
Barkley is 418 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984. Barkley needs to average 139.4 yards per game over the final three games of the season to break Dickerson's longstanding record. For Barkley to break Dickerson's record within 16 games, he would have to average 209 yards over the Eagles' next two games.
If Barkley does eclipse 2,000 yards, he will join an exclusive club that has combined for four NFL MVP awards, 10 Offensive Player of the Year awards, 26 first team All-Pro nods and four Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions.
Here are the eight players to rush for 2,000 yards in a season:
2,000 Rushing Yards Club
All-Time Single-Season Rushing Leaders
Yards
Year
Eric Dickerson
2,105 yards
1984
Adrian Peterson
2,097 yards
2012
Jamal Lewis
2,066 yards
2003
Barry Sanders
2,053 yards
1997
Derrick Henry
2,027 yards
2020
Terrell Davis
2,008 yards
1998
Chris Johnson
2,006 yards
2009
O.J. Simpson
2,003 yards
1973
Reaching the 2,000 yard mark over this stretch is certainly possible for Barkley. However, the Eagles turned to the passing attack last week following criticism from wide receiver A.J. Brown. In their most recent win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Barkley ran for just 65 yards while Jalen Hurts threw for 290 yards. If the Eagles do continue prioritizing the passing game, Barkley might not get the touches and game-plan he needs to hit the milestone.
