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People are rarely presented the opportunity to cement themselves in the history books. Saquon Barkley has already done so, being one of only 9 players in the history of the NFL to rush for 2,000 yards or more in a single season. Barkley had a chance to go one step further if he was able to break the all-time single-season rushing record held by Eric Dickerson. In 1984, Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards in a single season. His record has stood for 40 years and counting. Barkley was 101 yards away from breaking the record and 100 yards away from tying it. Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has denied him the chance to accomplish either one of those feats by benching his starters for the final regular season game. Fears of injury loomed. Barkley has already suffered some setbacks during his NFL career, the most significant of which was a torn ACL in 2020. He has also been plagued with ankle problems since his college days. In the game of football, there is a risk of injury on every snap. Most players, especially running backs, understand that you put yourself in harm’s way to play the game. Breaking the single-season rushing record may have been a once-in-a-lifetime deal because no running back has rushed for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Such an achievement could have made Barkley a first-ballot Hall of Famer and earned him a record that could stand for 40 years or more.