PHILADELPHIA -- Only Saquon Barkley could envision the year he's had.
When Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in March, this is what he signed up for. A trip to the Super Bowl, 2,000 rushing yards in a season, having one of the greatest campaigns for any running back in history.
Barkley knew all of what has happened for him this season was possible. This is why he came to Philadelphia.
"You gotta envision it, you gotta believe it. And sometimes, it's funny how things work," Barkley said. "You work your butt off, your tail off all offseason, and that only gives you a chance."
Barkley is rewriting the record books for a once-dying position. He rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, the ninth player in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Barkley has seven touchdown runs of 60+ yards this season (including playoffs), an NFL record for a season and three more than the next-highest player. Three 60+ yard touchdown runs have come in the postseason, a feat which no other player has accomplished in their entire playoff career.
He didn't change his style of running or his offseason training because he's playing for a new team. Barkley finally has an All-pro quarterback, wide receiver and offensive linemen on his offense -- something he never had in his six seasons with the New York Giants.
"Did I do anything significantly different in this offseason than I did in others? Not really, to be completely honest," Barkley said. "If anything, I probably took a little more time for my body to let my ankle heal and let my knee recover a little bit more from the year prior."
Barkley has 2,447 rushing yards this season (including playoffs), 30 yards shy of passing Terrell Davis for the most in a season in NFL history. He also has 2,760 yards from scrimmage, three shy of passing Davis for most in a season in league history (including playoffs). Barkley and Davis are the only players in NFL history to have 400+ rushing yards and 5+ rushing touchdowns in a single postseason. Barkley is also 138 yards away from passing Darren Sproles (2,897) for most all-purpose yards in a single season (including playoffs).
This is one of the greatest seasons for any player in NFL history. This is the opportunity Barkley wanted when he was allowed to walk in New York, and why he chose Philadelphia.
Now, Barkley is one win away from a championship and arguably the greatest season for any player in NFL history. It's all right in front of him.
Barkley knew he -- and the Eagles -- could have a season like this.
"It only gives yourself a chance," Barkley said. "But every year, no matter what, you have to come up with that mindset because we all have a chance to go out there and accomplish what we want to accomplish. So I believed in it, I envisioned it, I had those conversations with myself. Some guys write it down on notes and put it on their mirrors and stuff like that. I'm more to myself, whether it's, you know, I'm in a sauna or in that cold tub or on the drives in the morning.
"But it's a cool feeling when everything that you work for, it's all right in front of you and the player that I knew I was and the player that I believed I was is finally getting to show."
