Getty Image / Kathryn Riley
The Philadelphia Eagles have caught fire, largely thanks to the running of Saquon Barkley. the key free agent signing has had a fantastic season and has a real chance at a 2000-yard season.
Barkley is getting some MVP buzz, but his low touchdown totals due to the tush push that the Eagles employ with Jalen Hurts at the goal line is vulturing some of Barkley’s touchdowns. Former Eagles center Jason Kelce said on his podcast that the lack of touchdowns should not impact Barkley’s MVP candidacy.
Through ten games, Saquon Barkley has 197 carries for an impressive 1137 yards and 8 touchdowns. Add in 23 catches for 210 yards, and two more touchdowns, and he’s had quite the season. Barkley has been electric in the open field, and has been especially good late in games. In last Thursday’s win over the Commanders, he iced the game away with two long fourth-quarter touchdown runs en route to a performance that saw him total just under 200 total yards.
That season touchdown tally could be a lot higher, though. Saquon Barkley has been tackled inside the 2-yard line eleven times this season. the vast majority of the time, the next play is a tush push for Jalen Hurts. Hurts has eleven touchdowns on the ground this season, many of them coming on the tush push.
Let’s say Barkley scored on six of those eleven goal line trips. At 16 touchdowns through 10 games, he would be on pace for one of the highest total touchdown seasons ever, and his MVP case would be even stronger.
But, Jason Kelce doesn’t even think the touchdown total should matter. He thinks the Penn State alum should be getting credit anyways, since he’s the one getting them to the goal line. He made the claim on the podcast hosted by he and his brother, Travis, New Heights
“Anybody that’s taking touchdowns away from Saquon Barkley like that’s making him less valuable shouldn’t even be allowed to choose who an MVP is”
Jason laid out the case for Saquon to be the MVP pic.twitter.com/ai715re4d9
— New Heights (@newheightshow) November 21, 2024
Jason Kelce certainly has a point. But, it’s so hard for non-quarterbacks to win MVP now. The last non-quarterback to win was Adrian Peterson in 2012. Barring an insane last seven games, Saquon Barkley is unlikely to break that streak.