As Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles inches closer to breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, the NFL world is watching with great anticipation [1]—everyone, that is, except Dickerson.
Dickerson, who set the record in 1984 with 2,105 rushing yards while playing for the Los Angeles Rams, has made it clear he isn’t rooting for Barkley to surpass his milestone.
“Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not,” Dickerson told the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t pull no punches on that. But I’m not whining about it.”
Damn: NFL legend Eric Dickerson does NOT want Saquon Barkley to break his rushing record:
“I don’t think he’ll [Saquon] break it. If he breaks it, he breaks it. Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not.”
😳😳😳
Barkley needs 268 yards in the final two games. pic.twitter.com/ueyahVpTes [2]
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 27, 2024 [3]
With two games remaining in the season, Barkley needs 268 rushing yards to break Dickerson’s record.
The Eagles will face the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday in what is expected to be a rain-soaked matchup at Lincoln Financial Field, followed by a season finale against the New York Giants, who have struggled all year and are out of playoff contention.
While Barkley’s supporters see the record as within reach, Dickerson is skeptical.
“I don’t think he’ll break it. But if he breaks it, he breaks it,” Dickerson said.
One factor that has added controversy to the potential record is the NFL’s expanded schedule.
The league moved from a 16-game to a 17-game season starting in 2021, giving players an additional opportunity to rack up stats.
“He had 17 games to do it? Hey, football is football,” Dickerson said. “That’s the way I look at it. If he’s fortunate to get over 2,000 yards and get the record, it’s a great record to have.”
Critics of this expanded season point out that records set in fewer games hold a different level of significance.
O.J. Simpson, for example, set the first 2,000-yard rushing record in 1973 when the league only played a 14-game season.
