Shannon Sharpe Suggests Saquon Barkley Should Aim to Break the Rushing Record Next Week [Video]

The Philadelphia Eagles destroyed the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with a 41-7 matchup. They displayed dominance, with running back Saquon Barkley making history, becoming the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

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He joined a golden group of tailbacks that gave NFL fans a lot of memories. Let it be noted that in just 16 games, Barkley was able to achieve this milestone. A lot of people believe he should go for the rushing record in the seventeenth game of the season against his former team, the New York Giants.

If Barkley rushes for 101 yards next week in Philadelphia, he will surpass legendary running back Erick Dickerson’s rush record of 2,105 yards. Although Barkley will have an extra week to achieve this, facing his former team with the division already secured, many believe he should rest for the postseason instead of playing.

ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe isn’t one of those people. On Monday, said on ESPN’s First Take that Barkley should be going for the record next week, mentioning that it’s a lot sweeter against New York.

“It’s against the Giants, a team that did what y’all did, y’all played in my face,” Sharpe said of Barkley’s past issues with the team. “Then I got an opportunity to see that on ‘Hard Knocks,’ how y’all was Willy nilly and y’all had no intentions [of re-signing Barkley]…I’m going out there and I’ma try to get 200 in the first quarter.”

He added, “Saquon gotta play.”

Barkley is in a unique position to accomplish something rare in the NFL. Breaking the rushing record would be a significant milestone for his legacy, and doing so against the Giants adds a poetic twist. The game will take place at home on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the season finale.