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Damien Woody: Saquon Barkley is the NFL MVP Right Now

It's an important conversation.

Kyle Koster

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Saquon Barkley galloped for 255 yards on the ground and accounted for another 47 through the air as the Philadelphia Eagles announced a statement win against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. The running back has been as advertised and then some in his first year with the Eagles, now rushing for at least 146 yards five different times this season. He's cracked the century mark five out of the last six games amid a seven-game winning streak for the Eagles and the national spotlight predictably and fairly thrust him into MVP debates de jour.

Forget for a second that it is entirely meaningless to decide who the current MVP is with so much season left to play, let alone argue over who belongs "in the conversation." Instead focus on the fact that Barkley is playing well enough to allow Damien Woody to lead off a Monday with the stance that the Eagles star would win that bauble if voting ended today.

It's early but all the signs are there: today will be the one day per year everyone decides that, yes, a non-quarterback can and should win MVP before the MVP is ultimately awarded to a quarterback. Which is always fun because a lot of the takes, as you can hear above, are lamenting that this award is only given to one position aimed at a bunch of people at home who do not vote for the MVP.

If you'll allow me to speak for us all ... sure, go ahead and give it to the most deserving player. We'll all be fine if that's Barkley and it actually won't be much of a fight. The bummer for Barkley is that he probably won't win it and all he'll have is one day in late November when people thought he kinda-sorta should win. But there's no actual trophy or plaque for that.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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