Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL.
Right now, there is no one better at making big plays in football than Barkley.
In a 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, Barkley had two touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles. He now has five runs of more than 50 yards this season and is on track to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984.
Barkley’s historic game against the Rams, where he gained 255 yards, set a team record and captured the attention of fans nationwide. His performance has made him a top contender for the AP NFL MVP award.
However, he isn’t the favorite to win it.
Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250, followed by Barkley at plus-400.
Running backs have won the MVP 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t quarterbacks or running backs have won MVP.
It takes an extraordinary season for a non-quarterback to win the award, mainly because the offense usually revolves around the quarterback.
Quarterbacks handle the ball on every offensive snap, run the offense, and get the credit when the team does well and the blame when it doesn’t.
The most recent non-quarterback to win MVP was Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012.
Being on a winning team also plays a big role in winning MVP.
Nine of the past 11 MVP winners played for a No. 1 seed, with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings were the sixth seed when Peterson won MVP.
Barkley is a key reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and are just one game behind Detroit (10-1) for the best record in the conference.
Does Barkley have a real chance of winning MVP?
In the strike-shortened 1982 season, kicker Mark Moseley won MVP after making 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in just nine games for Washington.
If a kicker can win MVP, then any player has a chance, especially someone like Barkley who can change the game.
Defensive tackle Alan Page won MVP in 1971, and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won in 1986.
Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in MVP voting last year, and wide receiver Justin Jefferson was fifth in 2022.
The Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) awards highlight the top players on both sides of the ball, giving voters the chance to recognize non-quarterbacks if they choose.
Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times in the last 11 years. McCaffrey was the winner in 2023.
The AP’s new voting format, introduced in 2022, also gives non-quarterbacks a better chance at receiving MVP recognition.
Voters now submit their top five picks for each award using a weighted point system. Before, voters would only make one choice per award.
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL votes for MVP and seven other awards. These awards are based on regular-season performance.
