Stephen A: Saquon Barkley should be NFL MVP after ‘ridiculous’ performance on SNF
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Jalen Hurts is about as cool and stoic as they come in the NFL, so his postgame reaction on Sunday night spoke volumes.
When told by sideline reporter Melissa Stark that Saquon Barkley had just rushed for a career-high 255 yards, Hurts reacted like a fan, laughing and playfully punching his teammate in the shoulder pad.
“He’s the best in the league,” Hurts told Stark following the Philadelphia Eagles’ 37-20 rout of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. “He’s the best at what he does. Hell of a player. Happy to have him.”
Barkley’s 255 yards on 26 carries wasn’t only a career high — it smashed Philadelphia’s previous single-game record. Barkley finished with 302 yards from scrimmage and a pair of 70-plus yard touchdown jaunts, sending social media into a frenzy over his chances of winning NFL MVP — an award typically earmarked for quarterbacks.
MORE: How many RBs have won NFL MVP? Eagles Saquon Barkley could join elite company
Well-known ESPN personality Stephen A Smith saw enough evidence on Sunday to call it:
Don’t know about everyone else, but it might be time to hand the league MVP to a RB for a change. His name: @saquon. This brother is ridiculous.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 25, 2024Barkley has now rushed for 1,392 yards on the season, which is more than 21 NFL teams through 12 weeks, never mind running backs. He’s now well out ahead of Baltimore’s Derrick Henry for the NFL rushing title in the same amount of games. Henry (1,185 yards) will get a chance to respond against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.
Could Barkley really beat out guys like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen for this year’s award? Probably not, given how devalued the running back position has become in the league. With 12 total touchdowns — a number that could already be north of 20 if not for Hurts’ dominance around the goal line — he has certainly put himself in the conversation:
Saquon Barkley now has the 3rd-best odds to win NFL MVP at +650 🤯
He’s ahead of both Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff 😳 pic.twitter.com/o5orQU6esy
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) November 25, 2024The last time a running back was named NFL MVP was in 2012, when Adrian Pederson of the Minnesota Vikings was honored after winning the league rushing title with 2,097 yards. Quarterbacks have won 16 of the past 17 awards, including 11 years in a row.
MORE: Eagles vs. Rams final score, results: Saquon Barkley runs wild as Philadelphia deals L.A.’s playoff hopes a blow
Ryan OLeary
Ryan O’Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.
