Saquon Barkley plunges into MVP conversation with record-breaking performance – NBC Sports Philadelphia

On November 25, 2024By Littum

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – There’s no doubt about it anymore. Saquon Barkley absolutely deserves to be in the running for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.

“I don’t know why he wouldn’t be,” Lane Johnson said.

Johnson is not alone. Because anyone who watched Barkley’s record-breaking performance in the Eagles’ 37-20 win over the Rams would have to agree.

Is there anyone in the NFL more deserving of MVP right now?

“I think everybody knows what type of player he is,” Johnson continued. “He’s had some ups and downs in his career, but I think now he’s having a real year where people can see the type of talent he carries. A guy that size that can do that, it’s fun blocking for him, I can tell you that. He’s a great teammate and has been since Day 1. He brings a lot to the table.”

It’s almost hard to list everything Barkley accomplished Sunday night:

• Barkley had 26 rushing attempts for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 255-yard performance is an Eagles record, surpassing LeSean McCoy’s 217-yard game against the Lions in the 2013 Snow Bowl.

• The 255-yard game is the ninth-best rushing performance in NFL history.

• Barkley also had 47 yards receiving, giving him 302 scrimmage yards on the night. Not only is it a personal and franchise record, but Barkley is just the 12th player in NFL history to have 300+ scrimmage yards in a game.

• And with 255 rushing yards, Barkley is now up to 1,392 on the season. It is a new career high. And there are still six games left in the base game!

So yes, Barkley belongs in the MVP race.

“We start thinking about it after the season is over,” Barkley said. “I love being in that conversation. It’s cool and all. But like I said, it’s a team sport. If you told me I could have the year I’m having and win the MVP and not win a Super Bowl, or I could have the year I’m having and not with MVP or Offensive Player of the Year and win a Super Bowl, I’ll take the other one.”

Maybe Barkley doesn’t want to talk about the MVP award, but the rest of us can.

And he now has the third-lowest odds to win the award on FanDuel:

Josh Allen: +135

Lamar Jackson: +300

Saquon Barkley: +650

Jared Goff: +700

Patrick Mahomes: +800

Justin Herbert: +3300

Jalen Hurts: +4000

Sam Darnold: +5000

Joe Burrow: +6000

Jordan Love: +6500

The last time a non-quarterback won the MVP award was Adrian Peterson in 2012. Before that, it was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006 and Shaun Alexander in 2005.

It doesn’t happen very often, and the award has mostly been given to quarterbacks. But it’s hard to look at Barkley and what he means to the Eagles without thinking he has a legitimate shot.

“It would feel nice for us to have an MVP running back,” right guard Mekhi Becton said. “But we can’t make that decision. We just sit there and play ball. I don’t really want to get too deep into it.

“Every game he surprises me. He gets some space, he’s gone. Everything he does surprises me. I’m a fan out there. I’m just out there in awe every time he does something.”

Barkley had a good first half with 73 rushing yards, but then hit runs of 70 and 72 yards in the second half. He has an incredible blend of size, speed, agility and explosion. Barkley on Sunday hit 21+ mph twice and has now done so six times this season, according to NFL NextGen Stats. The next closest players have three.

In a season where Barkley has been incredible week in and week out, he took his game to a new level in front of a national crowd on Sunday night.

If he wasn’t in the MVP race before, he sure is now.

“I don’t get a vote,” Dallas Goedert said, “but if I did, I would vote for him.”