The Rushing Rivals: Barkley and HenryThreaten to Break Long-Standing NFL Record
The NFL’s single-season rushing record, set by Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson in 1984, is 2,105 yards.
Several rushers over the past 40 years have come close to breaking it, most notably former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012, who came up nine yards short (2,097).
Now, 12 years later, the chase is back on, but this time, two rushers are closing in on the mark with five weeks remaining.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry eclipsed the 1,400-yard mark on Sunday while facing one another.
ESPN estimates Barkley is on pace for 2,123 total yards, which would beat Dickerson’s mark by 18 yards.
According to the Ravens, Henry was on pace to break the record as of October with a projected 2,120 yards. At that point, he averaged 124.7 yards per game and 5.84 yards per carry, ahead of Dickerson’s 5.6 yards.