The Eagles made a strategic decision to sit Saquon Barkley in Week 18 after locking up the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Resting their star running back to ensure he was healthy for the games that matter most made perfect sense. But that choice came with a tradeoff. Barkley, who rushed for 2,005 yards during the regular season, lost his chance to chase down Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards.
Now, Barkley has the opportunity to etch his name into the record books in a different way. Thanks to his dominant postseason performance—where he racked up 442 rushing yards in three playoff wins—Barkley is just 29 yards shy of breaking Terrell Davis’ record for combined regular season and postseason rushing yards. Davis set the mark at 2,476 yards back in 1998 during a legendary campaign with the Broncos that ended with a Super Bowl title. Barring something unexpected, Barkley is almost certain to surpass that total in Super Bowl LIX.
The oddsmakers agree. BetMGM has Barkley’s rushing prop set at 114.5 yards (-115), a number that positions him well above the 30-yard threshold he needs to claim the record. Given his explosive playmaking ability, Barkley could rewrite history on a single carry. His longest rush prop is listed at 24.5 yards, and recent games suggest he’s more than capable of hitting that mark and then some. Just look at his playoff résumé so far: he ripped off a 60-yard touchdown on his very first carry in the NFC Championship game and posted 62- and 78-yard scores in the Divisional Round against the Rams.
What makes Barkley’s situation even more compelling is his odds for Super Bowl MVP. He’s currently listed at +240 on BetMGM, the shortest odds for any Eagles player, and the second shortest altogether behind Patrick Mahomes (+105). If Philadelphia manages to dethrone the Chiefs, it will almost certainly be on the back of a dominant Barkley performance, which would not only secure him MVP honors but also cement his place in NFL history with a new regular season and postseason rushing record.
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