Detroit Lions icon and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders sent a heartfelt message to one of the NFL’s most dominant players who is on pace for a historic season.
Sanders sent Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley a signed jersey, and Barkley posted the fine gesture to social media, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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“To Saquon. I love the fact that you showed everyone how valuable you really are.”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 17, 2024
The legendary Barry Sanders sent Saquon Barkley an autographed jersey with a special note on it
📸 @saquon pic.twitter.com/uIhI37gaTU
Sanders sent an away jersey with a message: " To Saquon, I love that you’ve shown everyone how valuable you really are."
The value of the running back position has resurged during the 2024 season after teams devalued it during the offseason.
The New York Giants let Barkley walk to the Eagles, and the Las Vegas Raiders let Josh Jacobs walk to Green Bay, the Packers let Aaron Jones sign with the Minnesota Vikings, and the Tennessee Titans let MVP candidate Derrick Henry enter free agency, where he joined Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Barkley’s presence on the Eagles has them tied with the Lions and Vikings at 12-2 in the NFC with three games remaining.
As the three teams continue to claw their way to the top seed, the Eagles are the league’s hottest team.
Thanks to Barkley, the team is riding a 10-game winning streak heading into its Week 16 road matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Barkley set a franchise single-season record, accumulating 1,688 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
The six-year tailback is on track to join an elite set of running backs as he is on track to surpass the 2,000 yards (2,050) mark to cap off the season.
If that were to happen, the two-time Pro Bowl running back would be one of eight players to eclipse 2,000 yards rushing, an exclusive club that Sanders joined back in 1997.
Sanders became the third player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season when he gained 184 yards in a 13-10 victory over current Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and his New York Jets.
| 2000-yard rushers in order | Yards | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,003 | 1973 | |
| 2,105 | 1984 | |
| 2,053 | 1997 | |
| 2,008 | 1998 | |
| 2,066 | 2003 | |
| 2,006 | 2009 | |
| 2,097 | 2012 | |
| 2,027 | 2020 |
If Barkley reaches the 2,000-yard rushing mark, he will be the first non-quarterback recipient since Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
