Saquon Barkley had a historic season in 2024. He nearly set the NFL single-season rushing record and led the Philadelphia Eagles to a win in Super Bowl 59.
Is it possible for him to improve on his numbers from last season? One ESPN NFL insider thinks so.
Could Saquon Barkley Surpass 2,000 Yards Again?
Barkley was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and spent his first six seasons with the New York Giants. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after posting 1,307 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 91 catches, 721 yards, and four receiving touchdowns.
Injuries limited him the next two years, but the Giants picked up his fifth-year option heading into the 2021 season. In 2022, Barkley rushed for 10 touchdowns and a career-high 1,312 yards. That was the only year Barkley made the playoffs in New York, and the team placed the franchise tag on him that offseason, opting to give Daniel Jones a big extension.
The Giants let Barkley walk after he totaled 962 rushing yards and six touchdowns while adding 41 catches, 280 yards, and four receiving scores in 2023. He signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with Philadelphia in free agency and took his game to the next level, running behind the Eagles’ elite offensive line.
Barkley went off in his first year with Philadelphia, leading the league in carries (345) and rushing yards (2,005). He added 13 rushing touchdowns, 33 catches, 278 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. The Eagles rested Barkley in the final game of the regular season, so he lost an opportunity to break the single-season rushing record. However, ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington thinks Barkley hasn’t hit his ceiling yet.
Darlington said on “NFL Live,” “I think it is repeatable, quite honestly. Kevin Patullo, the new offensive coordinator, has been there. He was there for the Super Bowl. He understands the way that Kellen Moore got this offense going with Saquon. I don’t expect them to change it that much.
“Quite frankly, they found the recipe for success, and it is ‘Put the ball in the hands of Saquon Barkley,'” Darlington said. “The other component to this that could actually add to it is if teams do somehow figure out how to stop the Tush Push, you could actually see Saquon’s touchdown totals go up even higher. I know it sounds crazy, but I don’t necessarily know that we’ve seen Saquon’s ceiling.”
“I don’t necessarily know that we’ve seen Saquon’s ceiling.” 😯
—@JeffDarlington on if Saquon Barkley could repeat his production again next season pic.twitter.com/X1OHV2RXyq
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 3, 2025
Barkley was on another level in 2024 and continued his dominance in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run. He posted 499 yards and five touchdowns on 91 carries in the team’s four games, including 205 yards in an NFC Divisional Round snowstorm against the Los Angeles Rams.
Eric Dickerson set the single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984. It’s hard to believe that Barkley wouldn’t have surpassed that had he played in the regular-season finale.
The former second overall pick was recently honored with the cover of Madden 26 with his iconic reverse hurdle as the cover photo. It will be hard for Barkley to outperform his 2024 season, but it’s possible with all five starters on the Eagles’ offensive line returning.