Eagles Dominate in Super Bowl- Did They Save the Running Back Position?

By Dekan Blacker

Super Bowl LIX promised to be an exciting Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. These teams met in the Super Bowl two years ago, with the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly beating the Eagles 38-35. The Chiefs then went on to win last year’s Super Bowl, giving them the chance to be the first team ever to win three Super Bowls in a row.

Instead, the Eagles absolutely thumped the Chiefs, winning 40-22, a score line that doesn’t correctly show the dominance of the Eagles given that they were winning 40-6 with just four minutes left in the 4th quarter. This is just the 2nd Super Bowl win in Eagles history, potentially setting them up for their own dynasty. It’s unlikely that the Chiefs dynasty is finished, but with two Super Bowl wins and three appearances in eight years, the Eagles can create their own dynasty. The Eagles are set to compete for many years with their two most prominent stars, quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley, and might have just saved the importance of star running backs in the National Football League.

For the last decade-plus, star running backs have had a hard time getting paid to a level that equaled their impact on the game for several reasons. First, due to the wear and tear that the position requires, running backs have a much shorter prime compared to other players. Second, quarterbacks have become increasingly mobile, allowing teams to run the ball more with their quarterback, giving running backs less to work with. Third, rookie contracts are much cheaper than veteran contracts, and the difference between the veteran and the rookie has become minimal.

This is why star running backs Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry were available in free agency this year and got contracts that would make them the league’s 31st and 39th highest-paid receivers. These players finished 1st and 4th in the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year voting. Notably, only one wide receiver finished in the top six and two receivers in the top 13. This year, Saquon Barkley recorded the most rushing yards in a single season in NFL history and was pivotal in the Eagles run to the Super Bowl, which is something the receivers getting paid more than him can’t even come close to saying.

Other teams will likely recognize this and be willing to pay more than they have been for star running backs. The Chiefs actually did a fantastic job containing Saquon in this game, holding him to only 57 yards rushing and 107 yards of total offense, but the threat of Barkley still made a huge impact regardless. Jalen Hurts completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith on a play that everyone expected to be handed off to Barkley. Jalen Hurts finished the game 17/22 on passing attempts with 221 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also ran for 72 yards and an additional touchdown, enough for him to be awarded the Super Bowl MVP.

Hurts and Barkley carried the Eagles to a dominate postseason, they proved without a doubt that they were the best team in the NFL this year and have been rewarded with that recognition. With both players under contract for the next few seasons, it will be exciting to see what they can accomplish in the rest of their careers. As for the Chiefs, this game exposed their weaknesses, but with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they will continue to be Super Bowl contenders for years to come.