The best season in history for a running back? Photo via https://x.com/NFLonCBS/status/1883611440290087294/photo/1
Super Bowl LIX has plenty of interesting narratives: The rematch between two teams and two quarterbacks who met in the big game two years ago; The Chiefs going for an unprecedented “three-peat;” Nick Siriani aiming to outwit Andy Reid in the battle of the head coaches; as well as the usual mix of celebrity spotting, conspiracies, and other trends that swirl around the greatest show on earth.
Yet, for our money, there is a player that could become the biggest talking point after the game, perhaps even hogging more headlines than Taylor Swift: Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ running back is in the form of his life. For some pundits, he has been the best player in the NFL this season. He’s broke several franchise records for his position, and he might just be the difference-maker for Philadelphia.
Barkley has emerged as a superstar
Indeed, if you ask any of the Eagles players about their confidence going into the matchup, the name “Saquon” is rarely far from their lips. Many of the personnel that took to the field in Super Bowl LVII remain in place, but the Eagles now have an additional weapon in Barkley.
Of course, Barkley’s rising star has not gone unnoticed. If you look at the Super Bowl odds ahead of the game, Barkley is actually second-favorite behind Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to be Super Bowl MVP. It’s a clear indication from sportsbooks that the Eagles need their star man to put on a show to claim victory.
Yet, how likely is it? We know that those who decide the MVP awards tend to have something akin to quarterback bias. If your team wins the Super Bowl, it’s more often than not the quarterback that gets the MVP award. Four of the last five Super Bowl awards have gone to quarterbacks. Overall, 33 of the 59 awards have gone to starting QBs, although there has been a higher percentage in the 21st century, which is unsurprising in an era when we had Brady, the Mannings, Rodgers, and Mahomes.
Running backs light on recent MVP awards
Nevertheless, many believe Barkley could be the man to buck the trend, even if you have to go all the way back to 1998 to find the last running back – Terrell Davis for the Broncos – who got recognized as the Super Bowl’s best player. In total, there have been seven running backs given the award, but Davis is the only recipient in the last 30 years.
While recent history may feel like it has stacked the cards against Barkley in terms of a running back getting the award, we have to again stress what a special season he has had. Some have opined that Barkley has just put in the greatest season ever for a running back. Others believe that he may be the best-ever free agent picked up by the Eagles – much to the chagrin of the New York Giants. The point, as such, is that he has been special.
You can understand why Mahomes is the betting favorite for the MVP. If he and Andy Reid engineer yet another Super Bowl victory for this Kansas City dynasty, it will seem obvious in hindsight. The Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts is certainly not ruled out either. But if Barkley does what he has done all season, the Eagles will soar, and the man himself might get the nod as the star of the show.
