Eric Dickerson doesn’t expect Saquon Barkley to break his single-season rushing record: ‘Absolutely not’

On By Littum

Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson might not have the most gracious answer when asked if Saquon Barkley might break his mark for most rushing yards in a single season. But he is certainly honest about how he feels about being topped in the record books.

“I don’t think he’s going to break it,” Dickerson added Los Angeles Times’ Sam Farmer. “Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not.”

Barkley is 268 yards shy of Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in the 1984 season with the Los Angeles Rams. The Philadelphia Eagles have two games left on their regular season schedule, giving Barkley a chance to overtake Dickerson.

With 1,838 yards, the seven-year veteran needs to average 133.5 yards over the last two games to grab the all-time mark. Barkley has topped that number in six of his 15 games this season. With quarterback Jalen Hurts out while in concussion protocol, the Eagles can rely more on their ground game versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Dickerson is also quick to point out that if Barkley surpasses him, he will do so in 17 regular-season games — one more than Dickerson played in 1984.

“I don’t do anything about it. But I don’t whine about it,” he added. “He had 17 games to do that? Hey, football is football. That’s how I look at it.”

If Barkley doesn’t pass Dickerson for the single-season rushing mark, he could still join an exclusive club of NFL running backs who gained 2,000 yards. Eight others have rushed for 2,000 yards or more in a season. Derrick Henry did it most recently, gaining 2,027 yards in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans. OJ Simpson was the first to break the 2,000-yard mark in 1973 with the Buffalo Bills – doing it in 14 games.

Here is the current list of 2,000 rushers:

Eric Dickerson – 2,105 (1984)
Adrian Peterson – 2,097 (2012)
Jamal Lewis – 2,066 (2003)
Barry Sanders – 2,053 (1997)
Derrick Henry – 2,027 (2020)
Terrell Davis – 2,008 (1998)
Chris Johnson – 2006 (2009)
OJ Simpson – 2003 (1973)

Dickerson is also aware that Barkley could make the rushing mark against the New York Giants, the team that let Barkley go as a free agent. That would likely feel like redemption for Barkley and add another embarrassing note to what has been a miserable 2024 for the Giants.

“How ironic it would be for him to beat the record on them, the team that let him go,” Dickerson said. “A real slap in the face.”