I was having a phone chat with a former colleague who asked me to explain something to him:
- The prop bet on yards rushing for the 2025 NFL season by Saquon Barkley is in the range of 1300 yards (Over/Under) for the 2026 season.
- Given that Barkley rushed for 2005 yards last year, why is that so low?
I think there are two answers for that query. The first one has nothing at all to do with Saquon Barkley or the NFL. A sportsbook operator is not trying to predict Barkley’s rushing total for 2026; the sportsbook simply wants a “balanced book” meaning they have approximately the same amount bet on the OVER prop as is bet on the UNDER prop. When the book is balanced, the “house” gets a guaranteed profit based on the vig. So, each book will move that prop line either up or down to accommodate the betting tread at that book, and that means the bettors are the ones actually determining the line for the prop.
The other answer is history. Prior to Barkley’s season in 2025, only 8 running backs in NFL history have gained 2000+ yards in a regular season. Ergo, it is not difficult to look back and ask how those 8 RBs performed in the season following their 2000-yard season. Chronologically:
- OJ Simpson: In 1973, he gained 2003 yards (in only 14 games mind you). In 1974 he gained 1125 yards. The differential was minus-878 yards.
- Eric Dickerson: In 1984, he gained 2105 yards. In 1985 he gained 1284 yards. The differential was minus-821 yards. Note: He missed 2 games in 1985.
- Barry Sanders: In 1997, he gained 2053 yards. In 1998, he gained 1491 yards. The differential was minus-562 yards.
- Terrell Davis: In 1998, he gained 2008 yards. In 1999, he gained 211 yards. The differential was minus-1797 yards. Note: He missed 12 games in 1999.
- Jamal Lewis: In 2003, he gained 2066 yards. In 2004, he gained 1006 yards. The differential was minus-1060 yards. Note: He missed 4 games in 2004.
- Chris Johnson: In 2009, he gained 2006 yards. In 2010, he gained 1364 yards. The differential was minus-642 yards.
- Adrian Peterson: In 2012, he gained 2097 yards. In 2013, he gained 1266 yards. The differential was minus-831 yards. Note: he missed 2 games in 2013.
- Derrick Henry: In 2020, he gained 2027 yards. In 2021, he gained 937 yards. The differential was minus-1090 yards. Note: He missed 8 games in 2021.
The historical trend says that there is a significant decline in rushing yardage for a back in the season following a 2000+ yard season. In five of the eight situations above, the player missed 2 or more games in the next season and Barkley carried the ball 345 times last year and caught 33 passes meaning he was heavily used by the Eagles in their offense in 2024. The sportsbooks’ lines around 1300 yards for Barkley in 2025 point to a predicted differential of minus-705 yards in 2025. Note that only two of the previous 2000+ yard rushers declined by fewer than 705 yards.
Staying with NFL news, there was a big trade in the NFL yesterday.
- Dolphins get: Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 5th-round pick in 2027
- Steelers get: Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith and a 7th-round pick in 2027.
At first, I thought the Steelers pulled off a world-class heist with this deal. After reflection, I still think the Steelers came out on top in the trade but maybe it is not such a lopsided transaction. It seems to me that Jalen Ramsey – uber-talented as he is – just might not be the best guy to have on a team. He has worn out his welcome with 3 teams now and he is going to be 31 years old in the middle of the upcoming season. Maybe the Dolphins added by subtraction in this deal?
[Aside: The Steelers are clearly not as concerned about aging DBs as I might be. In addition to trading for Ramsey, they also acquired free agent Darius Slay this offseason and Slay is 34 years old now.]
Why I think the Steelers still came out ahead is that if you consider that Ramsey and Fitzpatrick are both top-shelf defensive backs and were swapped one for the other, then the Steelers got a good TE for a pick swap two years from now. I think Jonnu Smith is worth a lot more than a pick swap.
Since I have been focused on NFL stuff today, let me look ahead just a little bit. When Training Camp starts and teams begin their three Exhibition Games, a recognizable player somewhere will suffer a serious injury. At that point the narrative will be that those Exhibition Games are more dangerous than they are worth. Let me take a crack at that:
- I do not enjoy NFL Exhibition Games, but they are necessary to prepare for the real games. NFL football is choreographed violence and when something is “choreographed” the choreography needs to be “rehearsed”. Exhibition Games are a necessary evil.
- By the way, players also get injured in Training Camp practice sessions. They are also necessary evils – – if you assume that “risk of injury” is an “evil”.
- At some point in the narrative, someone will point longingly at Roger Goodell’s offhand suggestion that he would love to see only 2 Exhibition Games and a regular season of 18 games. The knee jerk reaction to that observation will surely be that the players’ bodies cannot stand that added stress and strain.
- How-Evah, [/Stephen A. Smith] the Canadian Football League has played 2 Exhibition Games and 18 regular season games every year since the mid-1980s without catastrophic results.
The moral of the story here is that this narrative is simply a way to fill time and space until the real season begins in September.
Finally, I’ll close today with this observation by political commentator – – and baseball fan – – George F. Will:
“Football combines two of the worst things in American life. It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………