Eagles RB Saquon Barkley getting close to breaking Terrell Davis' regular and postseason rushing record
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley didn't get an opportunity to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record in the final week of the regular season against the New York Giants.
It would have been a storybook ending to the regular season for Barkley to set the NFL single-season rushing record against his former team, but the Eagles decided to rest him for the playoffs.
Barkley benefited from the week off. In two playoff games, Barkley ranks first among all playoff running backs with 324 rushing yards on 51 carries as the Birds sit one win away from going to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.
While Barkley fell just short of breaking Dickerson's regular season rushing record, the former Penn State University star has his sights on the record for the most rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs, which is held by Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis.
Barkley getting close to Davis' rushing record
Davis recorded the most rushing yards in an NFL season, including the playoffs, while playing for the Denver Broncos in the 1998 season. He ran for 2,476 yards as the Broncos won their second straight Super Bowl.
That season broke the initial record that Davis set the year before.
In the 1997 season, including the playoffs, Davis rushed for 2,331 yards, breaking Dickerson's 1984 record. That season, Davis and the Broncos won the Super Bowl over the Green Bay Packers, 31-24, and he won the MVP award. He rushed for 157 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Entering Sunday's NFC championship game against the Washington Commanders, Barkley has 2,329 rushing yards, which is 2 yards behind Davis' 1997 season. He's 147 yards behind Davis' 1998 season.
Barkley has already passed all-time great running backs like Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, Derrick Henry, Barry Sanders and others for the most rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs.
Barkley's 2024 season rushing stats
Barkley surpassing Davis' record would be the latest accolade the Eagles running back would earn in his historic first season in Philadelphia.
It only took Barkley 13 games to break Philadelphia's single-season franchise rushing record of 1,607 yards. He passed that mark in early December in a win over the Carolina Panthers and finished the regular season with 2,005 rushing yards in 16 games. Weeks later, he became the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards in a regular season in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.
In Week 12 of the regular season against the Rams, Barkley set Philadelphia's single-game rushing record with 255 yards and two 70-yard plus touchdowns. The 255 yards by Barkley was the ninth-best single-game rushing performance in NFL history. LeSean McCoy previously set the Eagles' single-game rushing record during the Snow Bowl against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field in 2013.
Speaking of the snow, Barkley did his best McCoy impression in a riveting win over the Rams in the divisional round.
Barkley's 205 rushing yards in the 28-22 victory over Los Angeles were the most rushing yards in a playoff game in Eagles franchise history. He also had touchdown scores that went for 62 and 78 yards. The playoff rushing record was formerly held by Eagles legend Steve Van Buren, who rushed for 196 yards in the 1949 NFL championship against the Rams.
