Letting Saquon Barkley chase NFL rushing record is a risk the Eagles can’t afford to take

There were still nearly 11 minutes left between the Eagles and Cowboys when superstar running back Saquon Barkley rushed at left tackle and was eventually chased down and pushed to the sideline by Chauncey Gholston. Barkley gained 23 yards on this particular run, meaning he had rushed for 2,005 yards during the 2024 NFL regular season.

And that was enough.

It was enough for the day. It was enough for the season.

In passing the 2,000-yard mark, Barkley joined only eight players in the history of the sport, including legends Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and Eric Dickerson. The first NFL rushing title was won in 1932, and in 92 years, only nine guys have done it. There are now more than 7,000 people who have reached the summit of Mount Everest, and in even less time. That should tell you a lot about the ground Barkley currently occupies.

Of those to surpass the 2,000 mark, Dickerson went the furthest: 2,105 yards for the Rams in the 1984 season. With one game left, Barkley could clinch that record – even with a sub-par performance. average.

That wouldn’t happen, with coach Nick Sirianni initially hesitant, but ultimately confirming that Barkley would be rested during what is, for the Eagles, a completely meaningless game. They are locked into the second seed in the NFC, which means there will be a playoff game in Philadelphia the weekend of January 12th. It would be professional misconduct for the coach to send Barkley out to chase a record that, to be honest, is a little hollow.

NFL HQ: NFL Live Scores | Updated NFL Rankings | Complete NFL schedule

Some have criticized the decision, because aren’t there always, even when the choice is obvious? ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said on the network’s “Get Up” show, “So you better win it all,” while acknowledging that rest was the right “football” choice.

Raheem Palmer of The Ringer called it “anti-fan, anti-competitive and anti-fun“. He said the culture has moved the sport to where “NOTHING matters except championships and that’s ruining the sport.”

Except that not everyone believes it.

I doubt even a majority will.

Championships are more important than records

However, the pursuit of championships – that matters more than anything. This is the essence of team sport. An individual playing tennis, golf, or athletics can determine what matters most to themselves, but there is an entire organization involved not only in the statistics that bear Barkley’s name, but also in the consequences of his performance. And, in this case, the only consequence is a recording that, significant as it is, few people would have been able to identify without the help of a Google search.

Barkley has been in the league for seven seasons. In the previous six, all with the Giants, he had more coaching changes (two) than playoff victories or winning seasons (one). His teams’ combined winning percentage was .375. He is part – some would say most important – of an exceptional team that now has an excellent chance of playing in February. It is impossible for an individual file to be more important.

“My family probably wanted it a little more than I did,” Barkley told reporters at his locker on Wednesday, according to WIP’s Devan Kaney. “But at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games, and we’re in the playoffs, so I have a bigger goal in mind, anyway.

“It was an opportunity to write my name in football history. I may never have an opportunity like this again. So I’m depressed, but at the end of the day, I don’t care about putting the team in danger.

MORE NFL WEEK 18:

For Barkley to surpass Dickerson’s mark, he would need to gain 101 yards against the Giants. It’s not like he can put on his shoulder pads, make a few throws, bathe in the inevitable standing ovation and then watch the rest from the Eagles bench. Even at 4.7 yards per carry, he would have to put his body on the line 22 times to reach the record.

Barkley has already led the league 345 times as the Eagles build their 13-3 record. With 33 more receptions added to that, it has over 370 touches. Backs who reach this figure often find themselves in difficulty the following season. From 2018 to 2023, seven have joined this particular club; four experienced significant declines in productivity and availability and the following year. So was Dickerson, who missed two games and lost 88 touches in 1985.

Barkley is going to have enough extra work in the postseason, looking for something meaningful. There is no reason to stuff it with empty baggage. Giving sports journalists something interesting to talk about Sunday night and Monday morning isn’t enough.

The reward does not justify the risk

This is especially true considering Dickerson’s record was set in 16 games. The eras of the sport are different, with defenders generally bigger and perhaps faster than four decades ago, and there’s no doubt that technology has made scouting and film study more efficient. We’re so far in the future that it’s not even “cinema” anymore.

So perhaps what Barkley has achieved already represents a greater challenge overcome. Unquestionably, though, Dickerson had one fewer game to rack up yards. He won 2,105 in 16 matches. Barkley has won 2,005. And each one is incredible in its own right.

I grew up memorizing numbers like 714, 4,191, and 44.2. When Jim Brown held the NFL single-season record with 1,863, I probably could have told you that stat too, but I’m not entirely sure. Professional football has never really been the same in this regard, and it is less so now, there are so many “advanced” and “next gen” statistics permeating the game.

Who gained the most yards in a season is a basic concept, so perhaps this simplicity is what some aspire to embrace. But you know what else is simple? A hamstring strain, concussion or high ankle sprain that would cost Barkley three weeks at the start of the playoffs. This is an amount Sirianni cannot afford.