Saquon Barkley has broken the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing record during a dominant first half of Super Bowl LIX, as the Philadelphia Eagles stormed to a 24-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Eagles running back, celebrating his 28th birthday, surpassed Terrell Davis’s 26-year-old mark of 2,476 yards with a two-yard rush on the final play before halftime in New Orleans.
Barkley had a relatively quiet opening 30 minutes, rushing 12 times for 31 yards before the record-breaking carry.
The milestone came after he entered the Super Bowl with 2,447 total rushing yards, putting him just 30 yards shy of Davis’s record.
Patrick Mahomes had a shocking first half at the Super Bowl
Reuters
Earlier in the first half, Barkley also set another NFL record by pushing his total scrimmage yards to 2,764, the most in league history for a single season including playoffs.
Barkley’s record-breaking Super Bowl performance caps a remarkable 2024-25 campaign in which he became just the ninth NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in the regular season.
The Penn State alum finished the regular season with 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on 345 carries.
His playoff form has been equally impressive, rushing for 324 yards in Philadelphia’s first two postseason matches, including a team playoff record of 205 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
The Eagles’ commanding first-half display began when Jalen Hurts rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
JUST IN:Six Nations match brought to a halt after sickening clash of heads
Jake Elliott extended the lead with a 48-yard field goal.
Cooper Dejean then pushed the advantage to 17-0 with a 38-yard interception return.
Following another Patrick Mahomes interception, Hurts connected with AJ Brown for a 12-yard touchdown to establish the 24-0 lead at the interval.
READ MORE:Luke Littler banned from darts tournament, stopping him from defending title
Saquon Barkley starred on his birthday in the Super Bowl
Reuters
Barkley’s historic performance comes just days after being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year at Thursday’s NFL Honors ceremony, where he also finished third in MVP voting.
The running back joined the Eagles last year on a three-year £37.75million deal after spending six seasons with the New York Giants.
During his Giants tenure, Barkley appeared in just two playoff matches, making this his first Super Bowl appearance.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS: