“Saquon Changed the Conversation About Running Backs” – Barry Sanders on Barkley’s Impact, Mount Rushmore of RBs

Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders is a big fan of fellow running back Saquon Barkley.

The Philadelphia Eagles star is riding high after leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl run. While leading a rejuvenated Eagles team — they had lost six of their last seven games at the end of the 2023 season — Barkley ran for over 2,000 yards, becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

Sanders says Barkley has brought value back to the running back position, which has been heavily devalued over the past 15 years, ranking among the lowest-paid positions in football.

Barkley’s Historic Season and Changing Perceptions

“Oh yeah, they’ve been devalued,” said Sanders in a one-on-one interview with RG. “Obviously Saquon is a perfect example of that mentality with what he went through in New York and just the conversation around running backs over the last handful of years.”

Barkley’s former team, the New York Giants, chose to prioritize quarterback Daniel Jones over Barkley after the duo led the franchise to a surprise playoff appearance and victory during the 2022 season.

While Jones received his big-time deal — four years and $160 million — Barkley instead signed a franchise tag. The 28-year-old running back eventually signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles last offseason. He has since been rewarded with a two-year, $41.2 million extension — with $36 million guaranteed — which makes him the highest-paid running back on an average annual basis in NFL history.

Barkley had an opportunity to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984. He was just 101 yards away from breaking the record, which he likely would have done had he played in the final week of the season. However, he sat out Week 18 to stay healthy for the Super Bowl push.

The move obviously paid off.

“What Saquon did, I think he really restored a lot of faith in what the running back position can do,” said Sanders.

“He’s a unique individual in that his skill set, the way he plays the game, the situation he’s in, the great team that he’s surrounded by — all those things matter and help with what he’s doing. But he’s certainly a generational type of talent.”

Barkley’s 2024 campaign will go down as one of the best by a running back in NFL history. In addition to winning the Super Bowl and posting over 2,000 rushing yards, he won Offensive Player of the Year. He also ran for 5.8 yards per carry — higher than Dickerson’s 5.6 in 1984 — and posted 2,283 yards from scrimmage.

Sanders notes that other running backs — not just Barkley — have brought value back to the position. Derrick Henry had a sensational year in his debut season with the Baltimore Ravens, helping them lead the league in rushing yards, yards per carry, and total rushing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, other backs such as Aaron Jones with the Minnesota Vikings and Josh Jacobs with the Green Bay Packers also had outstanding debut seasons with their new teams, helping both reach the playoffs.

“To see him [Barkley] be able to put that on display was amazing,” said Sanders. “He certainly changed the conversation about running back. You see how valuable someone like Josh Jacobs was to his team. You see the young fellow in Atlanta, Bijan Robinson. They were just outside the playoffs, but you see how valuable he is to his team.

Barry Sanders’ Mount Rushmore of RBs

When asked who he would place on his Mount Rushmore for the running back position, the first three names Sanders mentions are Jim Brown, Walter Payton, and Emmitt Smith. Brown is widely regarded as the best running back of all time, winning the MVP three times and leading the league in rushing eight out of nine years. Payton is a Super Bowl champ, former MVP, and former all-time rushing leader, while Smith currently holds the all-time rushing record.

As for the fourth spot, Sanders names himself.

“You gotta put Jim Brown up there and you gotta put Walter Payton up there,” said Sanders.

“You have to put Emmitt Smith up there because he’s the all-time leading rusher. And then maybe I’ll put myself up there.”

Sanders also mentions current players Barkley and Henry as two backs who could earn a spot on Mount Rushmore in the future.

“You gotta make room for Derrick Henry,” said Sanders. “He’ll be up there at some point, and then Saquon looks like he’s headed there. Eric Dickerson… if I start naming running backs, I’ll be here all day.”

The 1997 NFL MVP is speaking on behalf of his partnership with Sleep Number. Sanders has dealt with sleep apnea, and Sleep Number’s new health app allows people to better understand their snore and breathing patterns.

“They’re doing a wonderful service and job just helping people sleep better, detecting things like sleep apnea,” said Sanders. “They have an app, Breathe IQ, where it’ll record your snoring. You can see where in your throat the snore is coming from, any kind of breathing irregularities. It’ll connect you to a virtual care clinic, where you can talk to someone in more detail if some of these things relate to you.”

Sanders details how much of an issue sleep apnea is and how it often goes undiagnosed.