Hall of Famer makes MVP case for Eagles' Saquon Barkley

It seems to be a foregone conclusion that either Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson or Buffalo Bills signal-caller Josh Allen will officially earn 2024 MVP honors. 

However, Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis suggested in a recent chat with Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com that voters haven't been showing enough love for Philadelphia Eagles ball-carrier Saquon Barkley. 

"That’s the frustrating part about this," Davis said about MVP conversations. "I’ve heard two names, two quarterbacks the whole season. They have just totally dismissed and discounted running backs to a level I’ve never seen before. I mean, you got a guy with 2,000 yards and he got no love."

Running back Adrian Peterson was the last non-quarterback to claim MVP, and he did so for the 2012 campaign. On Wednesday, the Professional Football Writers of America confirmed their voters selected Jackson as the 2024 MVP over Allen and Barkley. 

With that said, StatMuse shows Barkley led the league with 2,283 yards from scrimmage for the regular season. While his 13 rushing touchdowns are impressive on their own, he likely would've tallied more had Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts not accumulated 14 rushing scores thanks largely to "tush push" plays. 

Davis is first (2,476) and second (2,331) on the all-time list for total rushing yards from Week 1 through that campaign's playoffs. Barkley will enter the upcoming NFC Championship Game versus the Washington Commanders third with 2,329 yards. 

"The energy generated by the run game, it permeates through a team and it sucks the life out of the other team. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it," Davis added. "I think it’s especially true now when defenses have changed. There’s no longer that guy who is 250 pounds with a neck roll who is a linebacker. He’s not in the game anymore. The boxes are a lot lighter. These guys are 215, 220 and are mainly cover linebackers with speed." 

As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Eagles as six-point favorites over the Commanders. If Philadelphia defeats Washington at Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday, Barkley could be just four quarters away from becoming a Super Bowl MVP.