Last year, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley set the NFL's record for combined rushing yards in the regular season and postseason to help the franchise win its second Super Bowl title.
This offseason, Barkley got a boost in his paycheck, was named to the "Madden NFL 26" cover and won an ESPY for being named the NFL's top player.
On Monday night, Barkley picked up another enormous accolade. He was named the NFL's No. 1 overall player by his fellow NFL players in the league's annual Top 100 poll. He finished ahead of Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, and third-place finisher Josh Allen, the league's reigning MVP.
Barkley joined the Eagles last offseason,leaving the Giants – who drafted him second overall out of Penn State in 2018 – after six seasons for their NFC East rivals and a three-year deal worth nearly $38 million.
He then rushed for a career-best 2,005 yards to lead the NFL and fell just 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards. Barkley totaled 2,283 offensive yards in the regular season and 574 more in the playoffs.
On Thursday, Barkley will start to show what he can do for an encore, as the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles open the NFL season at the Linc against the rival Dallas Cowboys. Before the game, their championship banner will be unfurled.
The NFL MVP might be an annual quarterback award, but the Top 100 has produced different results. Barkley is the second consecutive skill-position player to win the award, following 2025 winner Tyreek Hill, a Dolphins wide receiver. But Barkley is just the second running back to be named No. 1 since Adrian Peterson was voted No. 1 in the 2013 version, making Barkley the first running back in more than a decade to take home the distinction.
Barkley moved up 85 spots in going to No. 1 overall.And one year from now we'll see if he can be the first player in Top 100 history to win it in consecutive seasons.Tom Brady has been named No. 1 three times since the poll's 2011 inception, and Patrick Mahomes has been named No. 1 twice.
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