Eric Dickerson, the NFL's single-season rushing record holder, congratulated Saquon Barkley on joining the 2,000-yard club but said sitting out Sunday's game was the right decision. Barkley needed 101 yards to break Dickerson's record, but the Eagles prioritized resting their starters for the playoffs. Dickerson acknowledged Barkley's desire to play and chase the record but emphasized the importance of winning and protecting players from unnecessary injury risk.
Dickerson, the NFL ’s single-season rushing record holder, congratulated Barkley on joining the 2,000-yard club and said sitting Sunday was the smart move.
Dickerson’s single-season rushing yards record has stood for 40 years, and entering Week 18, Barkley was just 101 yards away from eclipsing Dickerson’s 2,105-yard mark. But, Dickerson told cohosts Bill Belichick and Jim Gray that although he didn’t want Barkley to break his record, he was rooting for Barkley to at least get a shot at it.
“If you have a record, you want to hold onto them. They’re hard to get,” Dickerson said. “ … But I did talk to Saquon . I gave him a call to congratulate him on going into the 2,000-yard club. I told him I would’ve liked to see him play at least a half to see if he had a chance to get it. But I understand the most important thing is winning thestill progressing through the concussion protocol, had Barkley played, he’d have been one of the only key starters in the game for the Eagles.
“I’m sure he wanted to play, but, you know, like I was trying to explain to other people, you just can’t play him,” Eric Dickerson said. “You have to play everybody. You have to play the offensive line. You have to play the receivers. Especially the offensive lineman. You can’t put a backup up offensive line in there with your star running back because something might happen. It might happen no matter what, but you can’t take a chance of getting someone hurt. That’s the most important part.
“Like I told him, I said, ‘Look, I would trade that 2,000 yards for a Super Bowl in a heartbeat.’ That’s a no brainer because football is the ultimate team sport. It’s not about the individual. If you get some records along the way, great, that’s fine.”“I agree with Eric. It’s about championships,” Belichick said. “And the individual records are nice, especially when they come with championships, but I think you play for your teammates, you play for your team, and you play for a championship.
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