Saquon Barkley 2,000-Yard Chase: What Philly Star Needs To Do In 3 Games

The Eagles star has a chance to make history over the final three games of the season

Dec 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles took down the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon and it was a relatively quiet outing from superstar running back Saquon Barkley.

He was forced to miss some time during the game and spent some time in the medical tent. He luckily was able to return to the contest and finished the game with 65 rushing yards on 19 attempts. That puts his rushing yard season total up to 1,688 with just three games to go in the regular season.

Barkley still has a chance to earn his place in history. With three games remaining, Barkley needs just 312 yards to become just the ninth running back in National Football League history to rush for 2,000 yards or more in a season. To get there, Barkley is going to need to average 104 rushing yards per game over the final three games of the regular season.

That isn't an easy feat, although he has averaged 120.6 rushing yards per game so far this season. The last running back to reach this historic number was Derrick Henry in 2020 as a member of the Tennessee Titans when he logged 2,027 rushing yards.

Barkley was on pace to break NFL legend Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 entering Sunday's game but now has fallen slightly behind pace. He's 417 rushing yards away from tying the record. To get there, he needs to average 139 rushing yards per game over the next three games. That will be more difficult, but Barkley certainly shouldn't be ruled out.

More NFL: Eagles Playoff Picture: Updated Odds At No. 1 Seed After Week 15 Win, Lions Loss