Is Saquon Barkley a candidate to win the NFL MVP?
Saquon Barkley is the NFL's leader in combined yards and second in touchdowns. Can he keep up the pace to win the MVP title?
Twelve weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles are one of the top four teams in the league, and a huge factor in that was the addition of Saquon Barkley in free agency. The running back left the New York Giants to sign with the NFC East rival on a three-year deal worth $37.5 million. Now, that contract looks like a steal for the Pennsylvania franchise.
Barkley leads the NFL in combined yards with 1,649, including 1,392 rushing and 257 receiving. He also has the second-most touchdowns with 12 (behind Baltimore’s Derrick Henry on 15).
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The running back has been on an incredible run, setting both his personal best and the all-time record for rushing yards in Philadelphia franchise history in his latest outing.
The 17-game projection at his current averages is 2,151 rushing yards, 2,548 total yards, which could end up being one of the best seasons ever by a running back. For contrast, he would surpass Chris Johnson’s 2,509 yards in 2009. He’s also targeting 19 total touchdowns.
Despite his impressive numbers, Barkley is not the favorite to be named MVP by sportsbooks. The Eagles running back is rated at +475, behind Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen (+150) and Lamar Jackson (+250), according to DraftKings data.
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When was the last time a running back won the NFL MVP?
The biggest challenge that Barkley faces is that traditionally, running backs have been overlooked in recent years. Last year, Christian McCaffrey led the league in yards and touchdowns from scrimmage, but he was only a shoo-in for Offensive Player of the Year because Lamar Jackson was named MVP. In 2017, Todd Gurley took eight of Tom Brady’s 50 votes.
The last time a running back won the NFL MVP award was in 2013, when Adrian Peterson took home the award for the Minnesota Vikings. The running back received 30.5 of the 50 votes after rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 217 yards and a touchdown receiving.
The only player to take votes away from Peterson on that occasion was Peyton Manning.
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