Saquon Barkley for MVP? Here’s how many RBs have won the award originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Saquon Barkley is running his way into NFL MVP contention.
The star Philadelphia Eagles running back is putting together a historic debut season in midnight green. And Barkley’s latest performance was the best of his career as he shined under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football in Week 12.
The 27-year-old racked up a career-best 255 yards on the ground, along with 47 through the air, for a whopping 302 yards from scrimmage — the ninth-most in an NFL game ever — and two touchdowns against the Los Angles Rams. Barkley, who broke the franchise records for rushing and scrimmage yards in a game, helped the Eagles close out a 37-20 road win by becoming the first NFL player to ever rush for two 70-plus-yard touchdowns in a single half.
Barkley has already surpassed his previous career high for rushing yards in a season — and there are still six games left on the Eagles’ schedule. With 1,392 rushing yards and 257 receiving yards through 11 games, Barkley is currently on pace to break the NFL single-season records for rushing yards and scrimmage yards.
The two-time Pro Bowler has also propelled the Birds to a seven-game winning streak that has put them in the mix for the NFC’s No. 1 seed at 9-2. The combination of stats and team success gives Barkley quite a compelling MVP case.
But just how rare is it for a running back to win the prestigious honor that’s been dominated historically by the quarterback position? Here’s what to know:
Has a running back ever won NFL MVP?
There have been several MVPs at the running back position in NFL history, but it’s been over a decade since the last one.
Who was the last running back to win NFL MVP?
Adrian Peterson is the most recent running back to win MVP, doing so with the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Peterson carried the ball 348 times for 2,097 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns, along with catching 40 passes for 217 yards and one score, over 16 games.
Peterson’s 2,097 rushing yards still stand as the second-most in a single season all time, while his 2,314 yards from scrimmage were tied for eighth-most at the time and now sit tied for ninth.
The NFL MVP has been awarded to a quarterback in each season since Peterson’s win.
How many running backs have won NFL MVP?
There have been 13 MVP winners from the running back position in the Super Bowl era (since 1967). Here’s a look at each one:
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2012: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
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2006: LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
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2005: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks
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2000: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams
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1998: Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos
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1997: Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions
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1993: Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys
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1991: Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills
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1985: Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders
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1979: Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers
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1977: Walter Payton, Chicago Bears
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1973: O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills
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1972: Larry Brown, Washington
Prior to the Super Bowl era, Jim Brown won three MVPs with the Cleveland Browns (1957, 1958, 1965), while the Green Bay Packers had two MVPs emerge from their backfield in Paul Hornung (1961) and Jim Taylor (1962).
What’s the single-season NFL rushing yards record?
In his MVP season, Adrian Peterson came up just shy of breaking the NFL single-season rushing record. The mark is held by Eric Dickerson, who rushed for 2,105 yards over 16 games with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
Barkley, who’s averaging 126.5 rushing yards per game, is on pace for 2,151 rushing yards through 11 games.
What’s the most yards from scrimmage in a single NFL season?
The scrimmage yards record, meanwhile, was set by Chris Johnson in 2009 when he recorded 2,509 yards over 16 games with the Tennessee Titans. Johnson tallied 2,006 rushing yards and 503 receiving yards to break Marshall Faulk’s previous record of 2,429 scrimmage yards.
Barkley, who’s averaging 149.9 yards from scrimmage per game, is on pace for 2,548 yards scrimmage yards through 11 games.
Johnson’s record-breaking campaign wasn’t enough for him to earn MVP, though, as the Titans went 8-8 and missed the playoffs that season. The 2009 MVP instead went to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, while Johnson earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.