MVP Chants Are Drowned Out By Winning For Saquon Barkley

The Eagles star RB was serenaded in the house of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.

Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) takes the field with teammates before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

BALTIMORE - On the home field of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, it was the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley being serenaded with MVP chants in the closing moments of Philadelphia’s 24-19 win over the Ravens on Sunday.

It was hardly Barkley’s best performance of the season which came seven days ago with 255 rushing yards against the overmatched Los Angeles Rams.

However, what Barkley did do has become commonplace and that’s dominate the fourth quarter with 63 of his 107 rushing yards coming in the final stanza, including a 25-yard kill shot that essentially sunk the Ravens.

"Late in the game, we were telling him, ‘Go ahead and put your cape on. Hurry up and let him out.’ And he did exactly that,” receiver A.J. Brown said.

Barkley outdid Henry, who ran for 82 yards on 19 carries, and Jackson, who had an uneven performance against Vic Fangio’s stout defense with several inaccurate throws and poor decisions.

For Barkley, outdoing his fellow MVP candidates was secondary. 

“It doesn’t really mean much,” Barkley said of getting the best of Hnery on the stat sheet. “I’ve got so much respect for Derrick and the things he’s accomplished this season, and in his career. He’s going to go down as one of the best backs to ever do it.”

Like most great players, Barkley is challenged by strong competition but in the ultimate team game, the “W” is what matters most.

“As a competitor, yeah, you want to go out and play at a high level. But it isn’t basketball,” the star RB said. “It isn’t like I have to go out and tackle Derrick Henry. To be honest, I don’t know if I want to go tackle Derrick Henry. But the most important thing is the team win.”

As for the MVP chants?

“My mindset goes right to the locker room and enjoy the win. Come back Monday and get the work in,” Barkley said. “Rehab, get my body right, and get ready for the next game, and I believe that’s Carolina [Panthers] back home. 

“I appreciate the MVP chants. It’s great. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games. And I’ve been so locked in, so focused. And my preparation, the way that I work throughout the week, and there’s a reason why I’m getting those chants. If I continue to take care of that, once the season is over, we’ll look and see what happens.”

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