Running Back Bias: Should Saquan Barkley Have Won NFL MVP?

Isaac Leeper

Saquan Barkley hurdling backwards over Jaguars defender Jarrian Jones.

Saquon Barkley’s rise as a candidate for the Most Valuable Player title has been anything but conventional. Barkley was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and has shown flashes of being a great running back, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and going to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2022. Unfortunately, his body was prone to injuries, such as a torn ACL, sprained ankles, a pulled hamstring, and an elbow strain. These injuries were a prime factor in why the Giants opted not to offer him a new contract in the 2024 offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Saquon Barkley on a three-year contract, which caused backlash among the New York Giants fan base because the front office let their best player go to a rival team. Now, with arguably one of the most well-rounded offensive lines in the NFL, Barkley was able to display his abilities he wasn’t capable of doing in New York. The running back carried the Philadelphia Eagles to a 14-3 record, earning the 2nd seed in the NFC. This remarkable season etched Saquon Barkley’s name into the Most Valuable Player conversation, along with players such as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Jared Goff. The definition of Most Valuable Player is subjective, but the award is generally given to a player who made the most impact on their team. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles deserved to win Most Valuable Player in the NFL as he helped his team to the second seed in the NFC and is only the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season.

Premises 

As mentioned above, one of the main reasons Saquon Barkley should have received the MVP award is because of his record-breaking season running the football. Barkley accumulated 2,005 rushing yards, becoming the leading rusher in the NFL this year and only the ninth running back in NFL history to break the 2,000-yard milestone. He joins the 2,000-yard club, joining legendary names such as O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and Derrick Henry. Out of the nine from that list, four of the players won MVP that same year. The running backs mentioned, like Saquon Barkley, were the main weapons of their respective teams.

Another reason Barkley deserved the NFL MVP award is due to his value amongst his team, considering that he is the leading rusher in the league. Saquon Barkley also can turn over momentum in games, scoring seven rushing touchdowns of 40+ yards this season, more than any other running back. His stats alone should have made his MVP case clear to voters, but he didn’t receive a single vote. 

Objections

Many argue that quarterbacks such as Joe Burrow or Josh Allen deserved to be the Most Valuable Player. This is a valid argument, as history shows that MVP voters overwhelmingly favor quarterbacks, who have won the award 43 times compared to just 13 for running backs. Quarterbacks need to be able to make reads to complete a pass in a tight window or make sure everyone is in the right position. It takes an immense amount of courage and leadership to be a quarterback, as blame usually falls on them when things go awry. For example, Josh Allen showed great leadership over the season, accumulating 13 wins, some of which were playoff teams. Allen also had the best QBR in the league this season at 77.3. Another quarterback in the MVP race is Joe Burrow. Disregarding the team’s overall record, Burrow had 43 passing touchdowns and 4,918 yards through the air. He utilized the talent around him and almost led his team to a playoff berth, having one of the best seasons by a quarterback ever. 

Response

Although the leadership of Josh Allen and the unreal statistics put up by Joe Burrow are quite impressive, they do not top the otherworldly performance by Saquon Barkley this season. Burrow accumulating over 4,000 passing yards is great, but it has been done 130 times in the NFL’s history. Barkley is more memorable, becoming only the ninth player in NFL history to rush over 2,000 yards. It is even more remarkable to see his dominance against teams that specifically focus on stopping the run. This statistic is harder to achieve compared to reaching 4,000 passing yards. A quarterback like Joe Burrow, surrounded by a talented receiving core of Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, and Mike Gesicki, is destined to put up good numbers. Great running backs require more athleticism, such as strength, speed, field vision, concentration, and perseverance, and Barkley displays all of these attributes. 

Conclusion 

In all, Saquon Barkley deserved to win the NFL MVP as he fits the description of being the most impactful player on their team and the entire league. His rushing of 2,000 yards led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 14-3 record (And eventually a Super Bowl win), a place where they might not have been without Barkley. Saquon Barkley doesn’t need too much of a supporting cast around him as his sheer ability to evade defenders is one of the best people have ever seen.