Saquon Barkley signed a free-agent contract before the 2024 season to play with the Eagles in Philadephia. It was a good signing for the team, as he is close to setting the single-season rushing record.
Some think that the most valuable player in the National Football League is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Allen has had a great 2024 season, but if Barkley breaks the single-season rushing record, he deserves the Most Valuable Player award. This article will chronicle his amazing season, his career in the National Football League, his college career, and his recruitment history.
The 2024 Season for Saquon Barkley
Barkley has had a great 2024 season for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a great free agent signing for them. He has rushed for 2,005 yards this season and needs only 101 yards in his final game of the regular season to break the single-season rushing record set by Erik Dickerson. This is attainable for him.
In his sixteen games this season, Barkley has failed to rush for 100 yards only five times. He is averaging 5.8 yards per carry and jumping over defenders. He even had 255 yards rushing on November 24 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Saquon Barkley’s Career with the New York Giants
Before signing his free-agent contract with the Eagles this season, Barkley played for the New York Giants for six seasons. He rushed for one thousand yards three times for the Giants. One thousand yards is a measuring stick for running back greatness. Barkley is set to earn a lot of money in Philadelphia, but he has been well worth it.
Signing a running back to a long-term contract is risky because they are so easily hurt. His contract is three years long, for thirty-seven and three-quarters of a million dollars.
Saquon Barkley in College and Before
Barkley played college football at Penn State University for three seasons. He was good in college, and there was some indication of how great he could become. Interestingly, in college, he averaged 5.7 yards per carry on 671 attempts. Barkley rushed for much more than one thousand yards in each of his three collegiate seasons at Penn State and scored 43 touchdowns there.
Before college, Barkley was a star running back for Whitehall, Pennsylvania. He was the 113th-ranked player in the nation, and he was the number 13-ranked running back in the nation. So, Barkley’s decision to stay home was a boon to Penn State.
Saquon Barkley and Rushing Records
With just over 100 rushing yards, Barkley will break the NFL’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 set in 1984. That would be a great accomplishment, and he will leapfrog six other players on his way to Dickerson. It is interesting to note that Barkley is twenty-seven years old, and only one rusher on the list ahead of him was older. Barry Sanders, who ranks fourth, was twenty-nine years old when he made his mark.
It is also interesting to consider where Brakley will end up on the all-time rushing list. At twenty-seven years old, he has proven to be durable. He has a good offensive line in Philadelphia, and he will likely eclipse, by a wide margin, a thousand yards rushing for four or five more years. Barkley already has 7,246 yards rushing in his career.
If Brakley puts up rushing numbers like he has this year for five more years, he will reach 17,000 yards rushing. That would be good for second place all-time.
Sep 6, 2024; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Peacock sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung (center) interviews Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) and running back Saquon Barkley (26) after the 2024 NFL Sao Paolo Game at Neo Quimica Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Conclusion
In the last week of the season, on January 5, Saquon Barkley plays against the New York Giants and their porous run defense. He should be motivated to play against his former team. These factors mean a high likelihood that Barkley will rush for the yardage he needs to break the record.
