The Eagles’ perfect fit. Saquon Barkley.
There’s been plenty of discussion about the battle of the quarterbacks in the lead-up to Super Bowl LIX. Naturally, that debate leans toward the rematch between Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, with the latter hoping to exact some sort of revenge over the former after being overshadowed in the big game two years ago. Yet, there is another player who has firmly inserted himself into the narrative – the Eagles’ superstar running back, Saquon Barkley.
Across the season, fans and pundits’ citations of the best players in the NFL. Josh Allen, who led the MVP betting for the majority of the season, was rightly cited as being in the best form, given his record-setting numbers for the Bills. As the season progressed, Lamar Jackson heated up, creating a problem for those who wanted to anoint Allen as the season’s MVP. And, of course, there was Patrick Mahomes, who didn’t have a spectacular campaign by any stretch but who just constantly did what he does best – win.
Barkley backed in Super Bowl MVP betting
Yet, Barkley has arguably been the player who has been the most consistently brilliant. Some are saying that he has had the best-ever season for a running back in NFL history. That’s not hyperbole, either. You can see, too, that with the Super Bowl odds for the game’s MVP market, Barkley is right on the shoulder of Mahomes in the betting markets. The majority of Super Bowl MVPs go to quarterbacks, especially in recent years. Yet, Barkley is an outlier.
We know, of course, that Barkley was highly thought of as a college player. He was in the mix for the Heisman Trophy in 2017, and he set several offensive records for offensive production while at Penn State. Selected at No.2 overall in the 2018 Draft by the Giants, he quickly took to life in the NFL, winning Rookie Offensive Player of the Year. While Barkley did in New York, there were always tensions bubbling under the surface. After four years with the Giants and 2 Pro Bowl selections, he opted to sign for the Eagles last March. The deal looks like a bargain today.
A perfect fit for Philadelphia Eagles
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Barkley and the Eagles just seem to fit. He was born in the Bronx, but he went to high school and college in Pennsylvania. His debut, where he became the first Eagles player to score three touchdowns in their debut game, instantly created a bond between the player and the Eagles’ fans. As with his time at Penn State, his first season with the Eagles saw several franchise records broken. He became the 9th player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
Yet, those records only tell half the story. Barkley is growing into one of those players that lifts the team around him. The Eagles players have been hinting at that fact ahead of the showdown with the Chiefs. They were outgunned in a slugfest in the Super Bowl two years ago, but now they have a non-so-secret weapon in their ranks.
The upcoming Super Bowl feels too close to call with any certainty. Yet, it might look obvious in hindsight that Barkley steals the show. He has always been very, very good, but the 2024 season has marked him out for being great. The Chiefs head coach Andy Reid always has a plan to stop the opposition; a key to the Chiefs’ success over recent years. We are fairly certain whose name will be top of Reid’s list.
