In a league where quarterbacks dominate the spotlight, one player is quietly rewriting the script. His name has been on the tongues of fans and analysts alike, not just for his jaw-dropping performances, but for the historic pace he’s setting. With each passing week, the question becomes harder to ignore: Are we witnessing an MVP campaign unlike any other?

Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles’ star running back, is doing something few thought possible in today’s NFL. He’s not just leading his team to victory—he’s challenging long-standing norms about what it means to be the league’s most valuable player. And if his current pace holds, Barkley may not just claim the MVP award; he may force the football world to rethink what greatness looks like.

After a blockbuster offseason move to the Philadelphia Eagles, the star running back has been nothing short of sensational, sparking MVP buzz and—more impressively—setting his sights on NFL history. If Barkley maintains his current pace, he won’t just be the most valuable player in the league; he’ll shatter one of football’s most enduring records. The single-season rushing record, set by Eric Dickerson in 1984 with 2,105 yards, has stood untouched for 40 years. Barkley, however, is on track to change that. 

Following the Eagles’ win over the Steelers on Sunday, Barkley has 1,688 rushing yards for the season, amounting to a league-leading 120.6 yards per game that’s head and shoulders above runner-up Derrick Henry’s 105.3 yards per contest. His combination of breakaway speed and brute strength has made him nearly unstoppable, also ranking among the top in yards after contact. At his current pace, Barkley is set to record 2,050 rushing yards this season, just short of Dickerson’s record. However, the Eagles host each of the other three NFC East teams to close out the season, all of whom boast below-average run defenses that Nick Sirianni and Barkley are sure to exploit in order to give him a shot at history.

This isn’t just an impressive season; it’s a historic one. Barkley’s offensive production has put him in a league of his own, and the way he toys with defenses week after week has solidified the Eagles as a legitimate championship contender. In an era where defenses are built to stop the pass, Barkley is single-handedly forcing opponents to rethink their strategies. That kind of impact cannot be overstated.

Barkley’s season is about more than rushing yards, though. He’s redefining what it means to be a game-changing offensive weapon. Not only is he dominating on the ground, but his versatility in the passing game sets him apart. Barkley lies in the top percentile of receiving yards for running backs, adding another dimension to his already incredible production. His ability to make defenders miss, pick up tough yards, and stretch plays into massive gains has turned him into the engine of the Eagles’ offense. When Philadelphia needs a play, they turn to Barkley—and he delivers. Whether it’s ripping off a 50-yard run, converting a critical third down, or dancing past the markers on a clutch screen pass, his impact has been the difference-maker for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Can the same be said for every quarterback in the MVP conversation? The MVP award has become a de facto “Best Quarterback” trophy. Since 2000, only three non-quarterbacks have won the award—Adrian Peterson in 2012, LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006, and Shaun Alexander in 2005. It’s as if voters have forgotten that the position of running back, although criminally underrated in the modern NFL, still has the power to define games and seasons. Barkley’s historic pace forces a necessary re-evaluation of this trend. How can anyone overlook a player who could break Eric Dickerson’s record while carrying his team to a division title? If voters only consider quarterbacks for MVP, then the award ceases to reflect its true purpose: honoring the most valuable player in the league. To ignore Barkley’s performance simply because he’s not a signal-caller would be a disgrace to the integrity of the game.

Speaking of Adrian Peterson, many are comparing Barkley’s historic run to Peterson’s legendary 2012 MVP campaign. Coming off a devastating ACL tear, Peterson nearly broke Dickerson’s record, finishing with 2,097 yards and lifting the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs. Barkley’s great career up until this season has unfortunately been overshadowed by his glaring history of injuries, highlighted by a gruesome ACL and MCL tear in 2020, nearly identical to Peterson’s injury. 

But this season, he looks unstoppable, carrying the Eagles on his back in critical moments. Peterson’s 2012 MVP win remains the last time a running back claimed the award, and it highlights how drastically the MVP conversation has shifted toward quarterbacks. Since Peterson, all of the last 11 MVPs have been quarterbacks. The modern NFL values the passing game above all else, and quarterbacks naturally dominate football talk shows and news segments. Voters often look at gaudy passing numbers—yards, touchdowns, passer rating—and equate them with value. But does this tell the full story? The MVP award is meant to honor the most valuable player to their team’s success, not simply the best quarterback. When you consider Barkley’s contributions, it becomes clear that his value arguably exceeds that of any quarterback this season.

Saquon Barkley isn’t just having a good season—he’s on track for one of the greatest offensive campaigns in NFL history. He’s pacing ahead of records that have stood for decades, carrying his team when it matters most, and redefining what it means to be valuable in the modern NFL. If Barkley continues this level of dominance, MVP voters will be forced to face the music: How can a quarterback, no matter how great, be more valuable than a running back on the verge of history? Saquon Barkley isn’t just competing for the MVP. He’s challenging the league to reconsider what value truly means. If he breaks the single-season rushing record and leads the Eagles deep into the playoffs, there will be no denying it: Saquon Barkley is the most valuable player in football.