Saquon Barkley for MVP? Here’s a look at how many RBs won the award, which originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Saquon Barkley is pushing his way into NFL MVP contention.

The star Philadelphia Eagles running back is having a historic debut season in midnight green. And Barkley’s final performance was the best of his career as he shined under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football in Week 12.

The 27-year-old racked up a career-best 255 yards on the ground, along with 47 through the air, for a whopping 302 yards from scrimmage – the ninth-most in an NFL game ever – and two touchdowns against the Los Angles Rams . Barkley, who broke franchise records for rushing and scrimmage yards in a game, helped the Eagles close out a 37-20 road victory by becoming the first NFL player to ever rush for two touchdowns of more than 70 yards in one half .

Barkley has already surpassed his previous career high for rushing yards in a season — and there are six games left on the Eagles’ schedule. With 1,392 rushing yards and 257 receiving yards through 11 games, Barkley is currently on pace to break the NFL single-season records for rushing yards And scrimmage yards.

The two-time Pro Bowler has also propelled the Birds to a seven-game winning streak, putting them in the mix for the NFC’s No. 1 seed at 9-2. The combination of stats and team success gives Barkley a pretty compelling MVP case.

But how rare is it for a running back to win the prestigious honor that has historically been dominated by the quarterback position? Here’s what you need to know:

Has a running back ever won NFL MVP?

There have been several MVPs at the running back position in NFL history, but it has been more than a decade since the last one.

Who was the last running back to win NFL MVP?

Adrian Peterson is the most recent running back to win MVP, doing so with the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Peterson carried the ball 348 times for 2,097 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns, along with catching 40 passing for 217 yards and one score, over 16 games.

Peterson’s 2,097 rushing yards still rank second all-time in a single season, while his 2,314 yards from scrimmage ranked eighth at the time and now rank ninth.

The NFL MVP has been awarded to a quarterback every season since Peterson’s win.

How many running backs have won NFL MVP?

There have been 13 MVP winners from the running back position in the Super Bowl era (since 1967). Here’s a look at each of them:

• 2012: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

• 2006: LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

• 2005: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks

• 2000: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams

• 1998: Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos

• 1997: Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions

• 1993: Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys

• 1991: Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills

• 1985: Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders

• 1979: Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers

• 1977: Walter Payton, Chicago Bears

• 1973: OJ Simpson, Buffalo Bills

• 1972: Larry Brown, Washington

Prior to the Super Bowl era, Jim Brown won three MVPs with the Cleveland Browns (1957, 1958, 1965), while the Green Bay Packers had two MVPs come out of their backfield in Paul Hornung (1961) and Jim Taylor (1962).

What is the NFL record for rushing yards in a single season?

In his MVP season, Adrian Peterson fell just short of breaking the NFL’s single-season rushing record. The brand is owned by Eric Dickerson, who rushed for 2,105 yards in 16 games with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.

Barkley, who is averaging 126.5 rushing yards per game, is on pace for 2,151 rushing yards in 11 games.

What is the most yards from scrimmage in one NFL season?

The scrimmage yards record, meanwhile, was set by Chris Johnson in 2009 when he recorded 2,509 yards in 16 games with the Tennessee Titans. Johnson tallied 2,006 rushing yards and 503 receiving yards, breaking Marshall Faulk’s previous record of 2,429 scrimmage yards.

Barkley, who averages 149.9 yards from scrimmage per game, is on pace for 2,548 yards from scrimmage through 11 games.

Johnson’s record-breaking campaign wasn’t enough to earn MVP, however, as the Titans went 8–8 and missed the playoffs that season. The 2009 MVP instead went to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, while Johnson earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.