It is not abnormal for a rookie running back picked in the fourth round or later in the NFL draft to make an immediate positive impact. Bucky Irving is over 1,000 rushing yards and counting to go with seven scores for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Teams have devalued the position in recent years, but the best offenses this season have elite backs as their catalysts.
Two small investments in quarterbacks and a big one in a running back topped the list of the best NFL free-agent signings in 2024.
The 27-year-old relayed his honest reaction to the news in the Eagles' locker room on Wednesday:
Saquon Barkley can break Eric Dickerson's NFL rushing record Sunday against the Giants. Will Eagles coach Nick Sirianni give him the chance?
Barkley will “probably be someone that rests,” according to Sirianni. The decision comes just days after Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Currently sitting at 2,005 yards, Barkley is 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, which has stood since 1984.
After leaving the Giants in free agency, Barkley signed a three-year $37.75 million deal with the Eagles and is a huge reason why Philadelphia is 13-3 and atop the NFC East for the second time in three years. Barkley is the favorite for Offensive Player of the Year and will likely get some MVP votes as well.
Saquon Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards with one game left. Can he catch Eric Dickerson and break his 40-year-old single-season record?
Philadelphia Eagles player Saquon Barkley addressed his team's decision to rest him in the last game of the season, skipping a chance to break a league record.
Zack Baun’s “movement patterns” gave Vic Fangio confidence that the Eagles had gotten more than they thought when they signed the former New Orleans Saints linebacker to a one-year deal. Baun had primarily been used as an edge rusher and special teamer,
The easiest thing in the world to say about Saquon Barkley and his pursuit of the NFL’s single-season rushing record is what the Eagles said Wednesday: For the good of their Super Bowl chances, for the good of Barkley’s health,