The Record Is Reach But The Eagles Have Bigger Goals

Saquon Barkley may not get a chance to make history in Week 18.

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) walks off the field after a victory against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley is now one of nine players in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season.

The dynamic back did it on his 31st and final carry during a 41-7 win over Dallas Sunday, which clinched the NFC East for 13-3 Philadelphia and at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

The historic run was for 23 yards off left tackle and put Barkley at 2,005 on the season and the precipice of Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record of 2,105 yards set 40 years ago in 1984.

Everyone on the Eagles wants the record and some of Barkley’s teammates seem to want it more than the superstar ball-carrier himself.

Of course, the opportunity for Barkley to be able to do it against his former team, the New York Giants, in Week 18 is certainly not lost on Barkley.

“I’m not going to lie, but just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot,” Barkley said. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to do that without this team. 

“Like I said, you can’t be great without the greatness of others, and I’m just happy I was able to be a part of the team and be able to reach a milestone like that.”

A team source said 2,000 yards in 16 games was the major milestone in Barkley’s mind, and while he’d be thrilled with the record, playing in a meaningless game just to get the record is not his priority.

Whether Week 18 against the Giants means anything for the Eagles will be determined by what 13-2 Minnesota does on late Sunday afternoon against the Packers, along with 13-2 Detroit's fate on Monday night at San Francisco.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’ll watch some games tonight, see how things are going.“Like I said, I’ve got a lot to think about. I’m going to enjoy this, and I’ll think about it tonight at some point.”

Star left tackle Jordan Mailata wasn’t shy when asked if he wants to play next week even if seeding isn’t in play.

“Absolutely," Mailata said "… “It’s an opportunity to make history. We tried to do it today, just on the off-chance of just knowing your coach. We never really spoke about the Giants next week, but we just had the feeling that if we don’t go for it today, we might sit out.”

Right tackle Lane Johnson implored in the huddle “Let’s get the record.”

“We were all saying it,” Mailata said. “… Why don’t we just go for it right now. That was the mindset the whole time.” 

The mindset now shifts to more important goals.

“We’ll do what we need to do, what’s right for the football team,” Sirianni said. “Always got to do what’s right for the football team to reach our goals of what we need to do.”

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