Category: PSU in NFL

Saquon Barkley is first Penn State player to win NFL rushing title

Saquon Barkley did something no other Penn State running back has ever done in the NFL.

He may not have played a single down in the final game of the regular season, but [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] still ended the NFL regular season as the league’s rushing champion.

Barkley ended his historic season with 2,005 rushing yards in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley is the first Eagles player and the first Penn State product to lead the NFL in rushing yards in a single season. Barkley is the ninth player in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards, but his pursuit of the single-season rushing record came up 101 yards shy of rewriting the record book after the Eagles opted to rest their starters before the playoffs.

The 2,005 rushing yards is the most by a former Penn State running back in the NFL since Larry Johnson rushed for 1,789 yards in 2006. Johnson, who had a 2,000-yard season for Penn State in 2002, also rushed for 1,750 yards in 2005.

Barkley will have a chance to do something no other running back in NFL history has accomplished when the 2025 season begins. Barkley could become the NFL’s first two-time 2,000-yard rusher if he can duplicate the success he had this season behind the Eagles’ stellar offensive line.

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Barkley and the Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round on Sunday, Jan. 12.

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Micah Parsons on contract future: I’m the best in the business

Micah Parsons enters a pivotal offseason hoping for a long-term deal in Dallas.

Throughout his first three seasons in the NFL, [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] has proven he is among the league’s top defensive players. And with the season in the books for Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys, the former Penn State standout is heading into an incredibly important offseason as far as his contract status is concerned.

Parsons has made it clear he would like to get a long-term contract extension on the books with the Cowboys before the start of free agency in March. The idea being that Parsons can lock in his deal and allow the Cowboys to focus energy on building a roster knowing what the budget looks like.

Parsons is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025 as he enters his fifth season on a club option that was previously picked up by the Cowboys. Parsons would be eligible to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2025 season if the Cowboys do not come to terms with Parsons on a new deal.

As much as Parsons wants to be a part of the Cowboys and their offseason plans to bring new talent to the roster, Parsons also knows his value as one of the most dominant defensive players in the game.

“If you gonna want me, I’m the best in the business,” Parsons said following the conclusion of the Cowboys’ season. “I can’t say there’s three or four people better than me in this league. I miss four games and I put up the same numbers, as some of these guys who play all year.”

Parsons was selected to the NFC Pro Bowl team this season, his fourth Pro Bowl selection. Parsons was the unanimous NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2021 and has been named an All-Pro player three times. At Penn State, Parsons was the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and a consensus All-American in 2019.

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Eagles will rest Saquon Barkley, leaving chase for NFL history incomplete

Saquon Barkley needed 101 yards to break the NFL single-season rushing record.

Former Penn State running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] will not get a chance to rewrite the NFL record book on the final Sunday of the NFL’s regular season. The Philadelphia Eagles will rest their starters, including Barkley, in the final game of the regular season on Sunday afternoon against the New York Giants. This will leave Barkley short of the NFL’s single-season rushing record.

Barkley made some NFL history last week by becoming the NFL’s ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. Barkley’s 2,005 rushing yards this season will be good for the eighth most yards in a single season, although he will remain 102 yards shy of breaking the NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards held by Eric Dickerson.

The Eagles are resting Barkley and their starters because the team is locked into the no. 2 seed in the NFC playoff field with nothing to gain or lose as a result of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Giants. The Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers or the Washington Commanders in the NFC Wild Card round next week.

As much as it might have been poetic justice to see Barkley set the single-season rushing record against the team that let him walk in publicly embarrassing fashion, the decision to keep Barkley on the sidelines with the rest of the starters before hosting a wild-card round next week is the right decision for a team hoping to make a run to a Super Bowl title.

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Saquon Barkley joins NFL’s 2,000-yard club, NFL rushing record in sight

Saquon Barkley is in striking distance of the NFL’s single-season rushing record with one game left to play this season.

The change of scenery this season has been very kind to [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag]. The former Penn State running back, in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a single season. He now has a real shot to become the NFL’s record holder for the most rushing yards in a single season.

Barkley rushed for 167 yards in the Eagles’ 41-7 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon in Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia. Despite a slow start to the rushing total, Barkley piled on in the second half to join the NFL’s 2,000-yard club before getting a curtain call in the fourth quarter.

Barkley already owns the Eagles’ single-season rushing record but now sits just 102 yards away from tying the NFL’s single-season rushing record. Former Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson currently holds the record with 2,105 rushing yards in 1984. The question is now whether or not Barkley will get a chance to chase the record.

With the Eagles clinching the NFC East on Sunday, the Eagles are virtually locked into the second seed in the NFC playoff picture no matter what happens in the rest of this week’s schedule or next week’s games. A shot at the top seed is not completely out of reach but highly unlikely with one game remaining to play. The Eagles could be in a position to rest key players before hosting a playoff game in two weeks, and risking any injury to Barkley would be ill-advised.

But the record is entirely within reach, and he could do it against his former team.

The Eagles will host the New York Giants in the regular-season finale next week in Philadelphia. The Eagles giving Barkley a shot at the NFL single-season rushing record in the final game against the team that let Barkley walk in free agency would be something to witness. And it is possible the Eagles will give Barkley a shot to get the record.

Earlier this season, Barkley rushed for a career-high 176 yards in his first game against the Giants. He later topped that career-high with a 255-yard outburst against the Los Angeles Rams. All he needs now is 103 more yards.

Will he get the chance to make some NFL history?

Saquon Barkley’s race for 2,000 yards slowed down by Steelers

Here is what Saquon Barkley needs to do in the final three games to make some NFL history.

[autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag]’s quest to join an exclusive club of NFL running backs is still attainable, but the former Penn State star is going to have to crank it up just a bit in the final three games of the season to pull it off. Barkley is in line to become the NFL’s ninth running back in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season, but Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers slowed down his pace just enough to make the goal a little more difficult to reach.

Barkley rushed for 65 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles claimed in-state bragging rights over the Steelers in a 27-13 win in Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles were thriving much more through the air with Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown putting to rest all of the hot talk in the media leading up to the game, but the Steelers made things difficult for Barkley and the Eagles running game. Barkley also missed a majority of the second quarter after seemingly getting hit on the knee on a tackle by Minkah Fitzpatrick. Barkley did return to the field in the second half.

The 65 rushing yards was Barkley’s lowest rushing output since rushing for just 47 yards against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 13, and it was Barkley’s second-lowest rushing total in a game this season. Barkley now sits with 1,688 rushing yards on the season. That leaves Barkley 312 yards shy of the 2,000-yard mark with three games left to play, all in the division.

Barkley needs to average 104 yards per game in the final three weeks of the season to hit the 2,000-yard mark. The chase for Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards will likely be out of reach. Barkley would have to average 139 yards per game for the next three weeks to tie Dickerson.

The final three games of the season for Barkley and the Eagles will come on the road against the Washington Commanders, and then back-to-back home games with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Barkley rushed for 146 yards against the Commanders on Nov. 14, 66 yards against the Cowboys on Nov. 10, and 176 yards against the Giants on Oct. 20. That is an average of 129.3 yards per game against division opponents, so the 2,000-yard mark is absolutely possible.

The Eagles may need to win these next three games as well as the team is jostling with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings for the no. 1 seed in the NFC. That could force the Eagles to keep key players on the field, which could be good news for Barkley’s chase for history.

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Saquon Barkley sets franchise rushing record with Eagles

Will Saquon Barkley rush for 2,000 yards after breaking the Eagles single-season rushing record?

The Philadelphia Eagles franchise record for the most rushing yards in a single season is no longer held by a Pitt Panther. It is owned by a Nittany Lion.

[autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] rushed for 124 yards to bring his season rushing yardage mark up to 1,624 yards, continuing to improve on his career-best season in his first year with the Eagles. His nine-yard run in the fourth quarter moved Barkley into first place in Eagles franchise history for the most rushing yards in a single season. And Barkley and the Eagles still have four more games to play this season.

The previous Eagles single-season rushing record was held by LeSean McCoy with 1,607 yards in 2013. Barkley broke the franchise record in just 13 games.

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Barkley is making a serious push for a 2,000-yard rushing season, a feat that has only been accomplished eight times in NFL history and has not been seen in the NFC since Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards in 2012 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants fell to 2-11 with another loss on Sunday. Barkley picked a good year to change his scenery in the division.

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Saquon Barkley continues NFL MVP push with player of the month honor

Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley adds another award to his season’s accomplishments.

It has been easy to see how much a change of scenery has seemingly benefitted former Penn State running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag]. Fresh off a 107-yard outing with a touchdown in a victory for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Baltimore Ravens, Barkley was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

Barkley was named the NFC’s top offensive player after averaging 194.3 total yards per game with 626 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, and 151 receiving yards. Barkley set a career-high single-game rushing total with 255 rushing yards in a primetime victory on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley opened December on Sunday by outrushing Baltimore’s Derrick Henry to build his lead for the NFL rushing title.

Barkley is leading the NFL with 1,499 rushing yards, which is already a career-high for the former All-Big Ten running back. His 11 rushing touchdowns match his career-best from his rookie season with the New York Giants.

Barkley is assembling quite the MVP-caliber season and currently has the second-best Associated Press NFL MVP odds behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Barkley is emerging as a runaway favorite to be named the AP Offensive Player of the Year. Barkley has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week four times this season, including twice in November.

Barkley and the Eagles will host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday as they continue to push closer to a division title.

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Saquon Barkley named NFC player of the Week (again!)

Saquon Barkley is on his way to NFC Offensive Player of the Year and possible MVP honors.

This Thanksgiving, Penn State fans who also root for the Eagles have plenty to be thankful for.

After a career day on Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles running back and former Penn State star [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] was honored once again by the NFL. Barkley was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. Barkley is continuing to turn in an MVP-caliber season in his fresh start in Philadelphia, and he may be on track to lead the league in rushing when all is said and done.

Barkley rushed for a career-high 255 yards on 26 carries in the Eagles’ Sunday night win on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley had touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards in the second half to help the Eagles outpace the Rams and put the game on ice. The former Nittany Lion ended his night with 302 total yards from scrimmage, and he broke the Eagles single-game rushing record previously held by LeSean McCoy.

Barkley is entering the Thanksgiving week schedule leading the NFL in rushing yards with 1,392 yards. He and Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens appear to be in a race to the NFL’s rushing crown this season with Henry having 1,325 rushing yards. No other back in the NFL has broken the 1,000-yard mark with Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers the next leading rusher with 944 yards coming into the week. This all sets the stage for a massive running back showdown on Sunday when Barkley and the Eagles travel down I-95 to face Henry and the Ravens in a possible Super Bowl preview.

Barkley currently leads the lead in total yards from scrimmage with 1,649 yards. Henry is second on the list with 1,421 yards, proving the Eagles are utilizing Barkley in the passing game effectively and driving opposing defensive coordinators crazy. In 11 games with the Eagles, Barkley has already rushed for a career-high season rushing total and he is one rushing touchdown away from his career-best of 11, which he recorded in 2018 as a rookie with the New York Giants. He is within 300 yards of his career-best season total yards mark of 2,028 (2018 with the Giants).

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Saquon Barkley’s career day powers Philadelphia Eagles to seventh straight win

Saquon Barkley is becoming a trendy pick for NFL MVP honors after a career day with the Eagles.

Since [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] joined the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of this season after his tenure with the New York Giants, things could not have gotten off to a better start.

The former Penn State star running back has been sensational for his new team, and that was punctuated with his career day on Sunday Night Football when he rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns while also totaling 302 yards.

He set the Eagles’ franchise record for most rushing yards in a game and the ninth-highest total for a single game in NFL history.

Barkley has now already surpassed his previous career high for rushing yards in a season, and there are still six games left to be played.

Penn State fans have long known just how good of a player he is, but after a rocky time with the Giants that was marred by injuries and stunted by poor offensive line play, he’s finally getting to showcase his talent on the national stage again.

Barkley has a real shot at reaching the coveted 2,000 yard mark this season, something that only eight other running backs in the history of the NFL have ever accomplished. The last to do it was future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson in 2012 who finished with 2,097 yards, the second-most of all time.

Peterson also happened to win MVP that year, the last time a non-quarterback won the award.

Barkley has given himself a real chance to make history by doing that this year if he can get to that plateau, and based on the way he’s performing, there’s a good chance he can reach it if he stays healthy.

Philadelphia has now won seven games in a row, and the former Nittany Lions stand out is a major reason why as he continues to put up eye-popping numbers that could make his season one of the best in the history of the sport.

Saquon Barkley made sure the Giants regretted letting him go on Sunday

If the Giants didn’t realize they messed up, Saquon Barkley let them know in his return to MetLife Stadium.

Philadelphia Eagles running back, and former Penn State star, [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] made his anticipated return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday when the Eagles visited the NFC East division rival New York Giants. In the first stadium he called home in the NFL since leaving Penn State, Barkley looked very comfortable in his old stomping grounds as he helped power the Eagles to a 28-3 victory.

Barkley rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in his first game against his former team. Barkley averaged over 10 yards per carry, surely giving Giants owner John Mara a reason to get a poor night’s sleep on Sunday night.

Although it was the Giants front office who gambled with letting Barkley hit the free agent market and invest more in their quarterback (Daniel Jones, who was sacked seven times and benched in favor of Drew Lock before the game was officially over), Barkley saw a handful of Giants fans displaying their displeasure with the former Giants star. Some fans were burning Barkley’s jersey in the pregame tailgating lots as the Eagles’ busses made their way into the stadium. Barkley saw that and picked up some extra motivation.

Barkley ended his afternoon with plenty of reasons to smile. Not only did his team win in his return to MetLife Stadium, but Barkley played a key role in the result with 187 total yards. Barkley alone outgained the Giants offense.

Barkley now has 658 rushing yards this season, with five rushing touchdowns (and six total touchdowns). He is currently on pace for over 1,800 rushing yards this season, which would easily be a career-best rushing total. Barkley’s career- high during his time with the Giants was 1,312 yards in 2022.

Barkley and the Eagles will be back on the road next week for a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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