The culmination of this year's NFL season is just about here with Super Bowl 59 right around the corner. The Philadelphia Eagles are getting set for a rematch of just a couple years ago with the Kansas City Chiefs, and this time, they're a much different team.
To be fair, both teams are much different. But, the Eagles have one particular weapon they did not have on that previous Super Bowl team.
Running back Saquon Barkley has been downright unbelievable this season. The fact he's had an opportunity to be even more special, but has opted to remain humble and team-focused is an entirely different side to the story and arguably even more impressive than his actual production.
His production, though, has been stellar. It was so good that Barkley deservingly earned the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award on Thursday night.
Barkley was also a finalist for this year's league MVP award as well, which many believed he should have won. But, the MVP has become largely a quarterback's award to lose, and it is rarely won by another position these days.
If you were to ask former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, though, he'd tell you Barkley was deserving of the honor.
Emmitt Smith believes Saquon Barkley should have been NFL MVP
In an interview prior to the award show, Smith told Chris Simms and Mike Florio his stance on Barkley and the league MVP.
"I think he's the MVP of the league this year," Smith affirmed.
As for his reasoning, it obviously had nothing to do with the fact Barkley is an Eagle. But, it had everything to do with the two of them sharing a special position on the football field.
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"For two reasons ... for one, they said the running back position was not as valuable. (That was) a lie. Two, he rushed for over 2,000 yards ... He could have broke Eric Dickerson's record easily. And, his team is in the Super Bowl," Smith said.
A Cowboys legend giving tremendous praise to an Eagles star? What world are we living in? I suppose, running backs have to stick together, and that's precisely what Smith is exemplifying here.
In today's NFL, it is truly difficult to have the MVP conversation some seasons. This past season might have been the toughest decision we've seen made in recent memory, with Lamar Jackson of course having a worthy nomination as well.
In the end, if Barkley is able to walk off that field a Super Bowl champion, the MVP loss likely means nothing to him. After all, he's been a team-first guy and we wouldn't expect anything less.