The Philadelphia Eagles got arguably the best season by a running back in National Football League history in 2024 from Saquon Barkley.
Barkley was off the charts. He finished the regular season with 2,005 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 33 receptions, 278 receiving yards, and, two receiving touchdowns in 16 games played. Barkley had a shot at the NFL single-season rushing record but the Eagles rested their starters in Week 18.
This was the right call and Barkley shined in the playoffs and became the first running back in NFL history to eclipse 2,500 rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs.
Unsurprisingly, Barkley's electric season carried over to fantasy football glory for many. He led running backs with 22.2 points per game in PPR scoring, but finished as RB2 just behind Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions, who played all 17 games.
Barkley is a superstar and is going to be taken early in drafts once again, but history may be against him, according to ESPN's Eric Karabell.
"Saquon Barkley falls outside the top 5 RB scorers," Karabell said. "What an amazing first season in Philadelphia for Barkley, with 2,005 rushing yards, 22.2 fantasy points per game and a Super Bowl championship. Be careful here, though. Of the eight prior running backs to rush for 2,000 yards, Chris Johnson is the only one to finish among the top 5 PPR RBs the next season. None reached 1,500 rushing yards. Several missed multiple games. Barkley entered 2024 with a track record for injuries, then he carried the heaviest volume of his career (378 touches) into February. The Eagles will be more cautious in Year 2."
That's interesting, but if anyone can break the trend, it would be Barkley if he can stay healthy.
