It was enough for the day. It was enough for the season.
By crossing the 2,000-yard mark, Barkley joined just eight players in the sport’s history, including legends Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and Eric Dickerson. The first NFL rushing title was earned in 1932, and in 92 years only nine guys have achieved this. There are now more than 7,000 who’ve reached the summit of Mount Everest, and in even less time. That should tell you plenty about the ground Barkley is occupying now.
Of those who’ve passed the 2,000 mark, Dickerson went farthest: 2,105 yards for the Rams in the 1984 season. With one more game remaining, Barkley could grab that record – even with a below-average performance.
It won’t happen, with coach Nick Sirianni initially vacillating but ultimately confirming Barkley would rest during what is, for the Eagles, an entirely meaningless game. They are locked into the NFC’s No. 2 seed, which means there will be a playoff game in Philadelphia the weekend of Jan. 12. It would be malpractice for the coach to send Barkley out to chase a record that, to be honest, would be somewhat hollow.