Saquon Barkley has been one of the most impactful players in the NFL this year. Following his 302-yard performance against the Rams last week, Barkley has solidified his place as a contender for the 2025 MVP award. And as the NFL world continues to sing the RB’s praise, his former teammate, Logan Ryan, joined the chorus as well.
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During his appearance on NFL on CBS, Logan, who played with Barkley in New York for two years, stated, “Saquon might be more valuable to his team than any other player.”
He explained that with Barkley’s addition, the Eagles have become a solid Super Bowl contender and argued that without the RB, the NFC East team might not have even secured a playoff berth.
“You add him to the Eagles — you see what he’s able to do — they are legit Super Bowl contenders. If they don’t have Saquon on this team this year, I don’t know if the Eagles make the playoffs. I don’t know if they’re anywhere near the same type of caliber.”
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It was high praise from the two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive back. When Ryan got to New York, he was known as a cornerback but made a transition to safety to fill a void. That said, Ryan also talked about his immediate recognition of Saquon’s elite talent in New York in 2020.
“The moment I played with Saquon Barkley, I left the Tennessee Titans and joined the New York Giants, the first practice I think I called my dad and said, ‘Saquon might be the best player I’ve ever seen,'” he recalled.
For a guy who played with great running backs like Derrick Henry, DeMarco Murray, and LeGarrette Blount, it’s a bold claim. But one that rings true for Ryan.
Ryan played in the NFL for 11 years as a defensive back. For five of those years, he played with Tom Brady. He first played with him in New England from 2013 to 2016, where they won two Super Bowls together. They then met back up in 2022 in Tampa Bay during Brady’s last season in the league.
In 2020, Ryan actually intercepted Brady in the AFC Wild Card game, which would be the last pass he ever threw for the Patriots. In 2023, Ryan got Brady to sign the ball that was his last pass as a Patriot. Although Brady signed the ball unknowingly and was not happy about it after he learned its source.
Is Saquon Barkley on the road to win the MVP?
Following his massive Sunday Night performance, many have begun to believe that Barkley should be the MVP this season. He already has 1500 yards from scrimmage and is averaging a ridiculous 6.2 yards per carry. Barkley is also averaging 126.5 rushing yards per game this season, over 40 yards better than his career high.
However, he faces a fair amount of competition before securing the highly-coveted award. Lamar Jackson, the reigning MVP, is performing exceptionally well this season. But since the QB isn’t the top player on his own team—Derrick Henry is—Barkley gets a slight advantage over Jackson.
Henry has amassed over 1400 yards from scrimmage and 13 TDs. Perhaps, he and Barkley will end up dethroning the likes of Jackson and Josh Allen and finally win the MVP nod from a non-QB position.
Henry has amassed over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 13 TDs. Perhaps, he and Barkley will end up dethroning the likes of Jackson and Josh Allen, finally earning the MVP nod for a non-QB position.
