Tag: Barkley

The 2024 regular season is in the rearview mirror and all that’s left before we put the entire year to bed is Super Bowl LIX. While the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up for that bid to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, most clubs around the league are looking back and evaluating the year that was. And we’ll join in on that fun by looking at every team in the NFL and identifying their team-specific MVP for the regular season. 

Of course, quarterbacks will make up a sizable contingent in this list of MVPs given the importance of the position. Still, both sides of the ball and multiple position groups will also be well-represented. Let’s dive in.

McBride followed up his breakout 2023 season with a sensational 2024 campaign. In 16 games played, McBride hauled in 111 receptions, which was the second-most in a single season in franchise history, only looking up to DeAndre Hopkins‘ 115 catch season in 2020. McBride’s receptions also ranked fourth among all pass catchers in the NFL in 2024 and second-most among tight ends. 

Even as the Falcons offense went through a tumultuous year that included a late-season quarterback change, Robinson was lights out in the backfield. Of his 17 games played, Robinson had 12 games where he registered at least 100 yards from scrimmage, including 10 of the Falcons’ final 12 games of the year as they looked to make a playoff push. Robinson was also more efficient as a rusher than he was during his rookie season, averaging 4.8 yards per rush.

2025 NFL QB matchmaker: Sam Darnold to the Jets, Kirk Cousins to the Browns, plus 15 other big-name proposals

Cody Benjamin

Baltimore had a number of worthy candidates (Kyle Hamilton, Derrick Henry, etc.), but how could we not go with Jackson in this spot? After all, he was named a First Team All-Pro and seems earmarked to win his third career MVP award. This comes after the best statistical season of his career, reaching new highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns and yards per attempt. Jackson became the first player in NFL history to record over 4,000 yards passing and 900 yards rushing in a single season. 

Of course, Josh Allen is an obvious (and worthy) option here as he was a Second Team All-Pro this season and will probably come in second place in the overall league MVP award race, but let’s give Cook some love. When Buffalo’s offense was humming at its peak, it was when Cook was finding success on the ground. In his third season in the league, Cook tied a Bills single-season record with 16 rushing touchdowns. 

Hubbard was one of the unsung players of 2024 and unfortunately had his season cut short due to a calf injury. When he was on the field, however, he was one of the consistent forces within Carolina’s offense. He set career highs across the board and finished with 1,366 yards and 11 total touchdowns from scrimmage. Hubbard also parlayed this strong season into a four-year, $33.2 million extension in early November.  

It was another forgetful year for the Chicago Bears that included a midseason coaching change, but Johnson continues to be a bright spot in the secondary. The corner earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2024 after playing all 17 games for Chicago while posting eight pass breakups, two interceptions and 53 total tackles.

It’s a shame that the Bengals couldn’t get it together and make a better run at the playoffs as that failure has taken a bit of the shine off of the ridiculous season Chase put together. The Bengals superstar wideout finished with the triple crown, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. There’s really nothing more Cincinnati could’ve asked from Chase, who is now in line to get a monster contract extension this offseason.

It’ll be interesting to monitor Garrett this offseason as a potential trade candidate with the Browns possibly hitting the reset button. Looking back on the 2024 season, the pass rusher continues to be one of the best in the league and was again a lone bright spot for the Browns overall. He was named a First Team All-Pro for the fourth time in the last five seasons after totaling 14 sacks, 22 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.

Even with Dak Prescott being limited to just eight games this season due to injury, Lamb was still able to help the Cowboys offense produce with Cooper Rush under center. The star pass catcher was named a Second Team All-Pro after catching 101 passes for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns. 

Surtain continues to rival for the title as the NFL’s top cornerback. The Broncos defender logged his third-straight Pro Bowl season in 2024 and was named a First Team All-Pro for the second time in three seasons. Surtain headlined a Broncos defense that was among the very best in the league in most statistical categories, including the second-fewest yards per play allowed. Surtain had 11 passes defended this season to go with four interceptions.

At their core, the Detroit Lions were a ground-and-pound football team and Gibbs was the key catalyst in those efforts. One part of the Sonic and Knuckles backfield duo alongside David Montgomery, Gibbs put together a sensational second season in the NFL, totaling 1,929 yards and 20 touchdowns from scrimmage. He also carried the load when Montgomery missed the latter half of the season due to injury, including a three-touchdown performance in Week 18 against the Vikings to help clinch Detroit the No. 1 seed. 

The “other” former Giants player who had a tremendous first season away from New York was McKinney. After inking a four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers last offseason, the corner went out and put together a First Team All-Pro season in 2024. In 17 games played, McKinney finished the year with 88 tackles, a sack, 11 pass breakups and eight interceptions. In coverage, he allowed just a 78.5 passer rating against. 

Stingley had all the tools to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL and that was on full display during his third season in the league. In 17 games played, Stingley broke up 18 passes and had five interceptions, which helped him earn his first Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro nods in his young career. As the primary defender in coverage, he allowed just 47.1% of his targets against to be completed and a 51.2 passer rating. 

Franklin has been a productive linebacker for the Colts over the last few years but took it to new heights in 2024. For the first time in his seven-year career, Franklin was named as an All-Pro (Second Team) and to the Pro Bowl. This comes after a league-leading 173 tackles to go with 3.5 sacks (career high), six pass breakups and five forced fumbles. 

It didn’t matter who was throwing him the football, Thomas Jr. produced at an elite level during his rookie season. Despite losing his starting quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and having to turn to backup Mac Jones at various points during the season, Thomas completed his first year in the league with 87 receptions, 1,282 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. It won’t be long until he’s considered one of the very best receivers in the entire NFL. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Sometimes you just need to make the boring pick. Was it the most prolific statistical season of Mahomes’ career? No. Did the Chiefs offense look clunky at times? Yes. All that said, the Chiefs still managed to go 15-2 to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC and that’s largely in part to Mahomes’ intangibles to win football games. He’s the reason why they are still playing with a chance to three-peat. 

Bowers didn’t just have a good rookie season, it was one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time. Bowers set the record for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history and also set a rookie receiving record by a tight end. That helped the first-year tight end land First Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod. 

There were a lot of great rookies in 2024, which had McConkey’s first season in the league fly a bit under the radar. The Georgia product blossomed into Justin Herbert’s go-to target, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. His production helped the Chargers clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. Once they got to the playoffs, McConkey set a rookie record with 197 yards in his debut. 

On the defensive side of the ball, there was arguably no better rookie this season than Verse. He provided a necessary boost to a Rams defense that had just lost Aaron Donald to retirement that prior offseason. While no one player can replace what Donald did, Verse was a force that goes beyond what you’d expect from a first-year player. The Pro Bowler finished his first season in the league with 66 tackles, 18 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. 

It was another topsy-turvy season for the Dolphins on offense with Tua Tagovailoa missing time due to injury, but Achane continued to be one of the more electrifying players in the NFL. His 1,499 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns both led the team in 2024. While Achane wasn’t as efficient as he was during his brief showing as a rookie (7.7 yards per touch), he was still highly productive averaging 5.3 yards per touch during his second season in the league. 

It ended on a rather sour note for Darnold in the playoffs, but his play during the 2024 season had the Minnesota Vikings pile up 14 wins and playing for the No. 1 seed in the NFC in Week 18. That’s impressive and came completely out of nowhere by the veteran. As you might expect, Darnold had career-best marks across the board in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns, which helped him be named to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Despite that strong regular season, his playoff issues make his free agent prospects fascinating this offseason.

It was a forgetful year for the Patriots, who moved on from head coach Jerod Mayo after one season. However, Gonzalez continues to show that he is one of the franchise’s building blocks for the future and is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. The second-year pro turned in a Second Team All-Pro season, breaking up 11 passes in New England’s secondary to go with two interceptions. 

Kamara remains the constant in the New Orleans offense and is still one of the more versatile backs in the entire league. Even with the Saints quarterback situation in flux due to injury, Kamara logged 1,493 yards from scrimmage which was his best output since 2020. Without him in the backfield, New Orleans would’ve had zero threats on offense for most of the season.

New York Giants

It’s been a rough year for the Giants both on the field and off it watching Saquon Barkley advance to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. If there is one thing they can hang their hat on, however, is that they have found a legit No. 1 receiver in Nabers. The rookie pass catcher flashed brilliance in his first season in the league and topped 1,200 yards in just 15 games played. Once New York solidifies its quarterback situation, Nabers is primed for an explosive sophomore season.

It was a breakout year for Sherwood in the Jets defense. He became a full-time starter and with that added opportunity put together the best season of his career. Sherwood totaled a team-high 158 tackles to go with 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass breakups. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Were you expecting anyone else? In his first season with the Eagles after signing with the organization in free agency, Barkley put together one of the greatest single seasons by a running back in NFL history. He had a shot to best Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record but opted to sit out of Week 18 to stay healthy for the playoff run. That has proven to be the right decision with Barkley going nuclear in the postseason to help Philly reach Super Bowl LIX. Even as the passing attack had its struggles this season, Barkley kept the offense humming and was liable to break off a 60-yard touchdown at any given moment. 

Even in his 14th season in the NFL, Heyward continues to play at an elite level. The defensive tackle was a First Team All-Pro for the fourth time in his career in 2024. In 17 games, Heyward totaled 71 tackles, eight sacks and 11 pass breakups, which helped the Steelers reach the playoffs. 

The title of best linebacker in the NFL continues to reside in Santa Clara with Warner. The seven-year veteran was named a First Team All-Pro for the fourth time in five seasons after a 2024 season where he tallied 131 tackles, a sack, seven pass breakups and two interceptions. It was an injury-filled season for the 49ers that helped them miss the playoffs, but Warner was a reliable figure on defense. 

There was no sophomore slump for Smith-Njigba, who established himself as the No. 1 pass-catching option in Seattle’s offense. In an offense that features DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Smith-Njigba led the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2024. Smith-Njigba really started to come on strong in the second half of the season, setting the stage for what could be an even bigger breakout in 2025. 

The Buccaneers were able to win the NFC South even after losing Chris Godwin midway through the season and also with Mike Evans missing some time due to injury. That’s a credit to Mayfield, who threw for a career-high 41 passing touchdowns this season on top of 4,500 yards passing. Mayfield got that done by helping elevate the likes of Cade Otton, Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan. 

There were slim pickings with the Titans after finishing with a league-worst 3-14 record, but Landy was able to produce amid tough circumstances. In 17 games, the outside linebacker totaled nine sacks and 15 quarterback hits to go along with 15 tackles for loss and four pass breakups. 

It was a night-and-day turnaround for the Commanders. After a 4-13 season in 2023, the franchise found itself finishing the 2024 regular season at 12-5 and playing in the NFC Championship. That was all thanks to their dynamic rookie QB, who has turned the fortunes of the franchise around for the foreseeable future. Daniels is primed to win Offensive Rookie of the Year after setting rookie records in rushing yards (891) and completion percentage.