Saquon Barkley was aware that he could break the Philadelphia Eagles’ season rushing record with a standout display on Sunday.

However, he didn’t realize he had achieved this NFL milestone until the crowd started chanting “MVP” after his 9-yard run in the fourth quarter. “The records are great, they put a smile on your face,” said Barkley. “But the season is far from over.”

He needed 109 yards to surpass LeSean McCoy’s record and ended up rushing for 124 yards, bringing his season total to 1,623 during a 22-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers. It took Barkley just 13 games to beat McCoy’s 2013 record of 1,607 yards.

He also surpassed Wilbert Montgomery’s 1978 record of 1,512 yards. “I never wrote the goal down to break it,” Barkley said. “You’re always aware of it. That’s how I train. That’s how I operate in the offseason. I want to be great.”

He’s also on track to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. “That would be extremely cool to do,” Barkley commented. “If it happens, it happens, and not with the mindset of, I’m scared to go try to do it. Whatever it takes to win football games.”

Currently averaging 124.8 yards per game, Barkley could become the top single-season rusher in NFL history if he maintains this pace. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record.

Barkley is leading the Eagles into the playoffs

Barkley is leading the Eagles into the playoffs ( 

Image:

AP)

Many fans believe breaking Dickerson’s record would be enough for Barkley to win the MVP prize, but history suggests that won’t happen. The award is almost exclusively won by quarterbacks – Adrian Peterson was the last running back to win the award in 2012.

Furthermore, Dickerson was not named the MVP in 1984, despite setting his impressive record. Dan Marino, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, scooped the award that year. Marino was also named as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1984. In fairness to Marino, he set several single-season records – including for 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdown passes.

Yet nothing has been decided yet, and Barkley will hope history doesn’t repeat itself. He averaged 6.2 yards on 20 carries against the Panthers to help the Eagles clinch their ninth consecutive victory. McCoy, who was honored in the team’s Hall of Fame this season, still holds the title as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 6,792 yards.

On social media, McCoy sent his regards to Barkley with a heartfelt “a lot of love, coming from 2-5”. Barkley said in reply: “Being a fan of Shady’s growing up, and seeing the spectacular things he was able to do with the ball in his hand, to be able to have my name mentioned with him definitely means a lot.”

After leaving the New York Giants in the offseason, Barkley inked a three-year contract with the Eagles worth $26 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid running back in the team’s history. The 27-year-old has proven to be worth every penny.