Saquon Barkley is the NFL’s version of Shohei Ohtani: Analysis

By ROB MAADDI

Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL.

There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now.

Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award.

He’s not the betting favorite, however.

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 award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP.

It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller.

Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t.

Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012.

Playing for a winning team matters, too.

Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP.

Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference.

Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award?

Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington.

If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley.

Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986.

Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022.

The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose.

Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner.

The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition.

Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award.

A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance.