Saquon Barkley could’ve ended the Eagles’ decades-long MVP drought on Thursday. But alas, it was not to be.
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He had DraftKings Sportsbook’s third-best odds (+8000) among the league’s five finalists going into the Honors Ceremony. But drastically trailed Josh Allen (-450) and Lamar Jackson (+320) for the distinction. In the end, it was Josh Allen who took home the award.
His falling short extended the Eagles’ MVP-less streak to six-and-a-half decades. Philadelphia is one of seven franchises to not have a player win an MVP in the Super Bowl Era.
When was the last time your team had an MVP? pic.twitter.com/tEeQiduRRr
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) February 6, 2025
Only one Eagle has ever won NFL MVP honors. That player, Norm Van Brocklin, did so in 1960. Van Brocklin, an eight-time Pro Bowler prior to 1960, was 34 years old when he captured the award.
He completed 53.9% of his passes for 2,471 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions while leading Philadelphia to a 10-2 record. Brocklin carried the Eagles to a 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship, then retired.
Shockingly, Van Brocklin was not named MVP by the Associated Press. Instead, the United Press International (UPI) handled the duties.
The 1960 #NFL MVP has a bit of controversy attached to it… The AP wire did not release an official MVP that year
The now defunct (as of 1982) United Press International (UPI) MVP is informally recognized as that season’s award winner… and that winner was Norm Van Brocklin… https://t.co/KNB575pEoa pic.twitter.com/gB5SLWn0BW
— Says_me (@says_me1) September 4, 2024
Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a single campaign this year. He recorded a league-high 2,283 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns this season, his first with Philadelphia.
While he may have missed the MVP honors, he didn’t go home empty-handed. For his incredible season, he was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year for his outstanding efforts.
