Robert Griffin III alleges NFL's bias against RBs could see Saquon Barkley snubbed from MVP race
Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley delivered another sensational performance in his team's 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
The running back finished the game with 146 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards, and two rushing touchdowns in another masterful display. The Eagles' offense struggled for most of the game, but Barkley's stellar outing helped them get the win, improve to 8-2 and remain atop the NFC East standings.
Former Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III was in awe of the Eagles star's performance and claimed on X that he should be in the race for the MVP award.
He acknowledged that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the deserved-frontrunner to win the coveted prize for the second year running, but voiced his frustration about running backs being overlooked. He posted:
"It’s still Lamar Jackson by a long shot but Saquon has been sensational tonight and all year. They be hating on RBs with the votes tho."
Who was the last RB to win MVP award? Exploring Saquon Barkley's odds of winning
Griffin is right about voters overlooking running backs for the MVP award. However, they aren't the only position group that receive no love. The coveted prize has almost exclusively been given to the best quarterback in the league for the last three decades.
The last MVP award winner who wasn't a quarterback was Adrian Peterson, who won it in 2012 after rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns, and catching 40 passes for 217 receiving yards and a touchdown. He's one of only five non-quarterback MVP award winners since 1994.
While it's understandable why the MVP award is almost exclusively reserved for quarterbacks, Griffin's point about the lack of respect for running backs is factual. Outside of Todd Gurley in 2017 and Christian McCaffrey last year, no running back has finished in the top three in the MVP award race since Peterson's win in 2012.
In 2020, Derrick Henry rushed for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns in 16 games and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. However, did not get any votes for the MVP award.
Recent history suggests Saquon Barkley has no chance of winning the MVP award or even finishing in the top three. However, he could win the Offensive Player of the Year award, which would be a small consolation.