John Mara should not read this article.
Last year, the Giants decided not to re-sign running back Saquon Barkley, sending him directly into the arms of the Eagles. Some 2,000 rushing yards and one unprecedented backward hurdle later, Barkley is the PFT offensive player of the year.
He finished with 2,005 rushing yards, 278 receiving yards, and 15 total touchdowns. But for the tush push, he might have had enough touchdowns to win the NFL’s MVP award.
As it stands, Barkley had the finest offensive performance of any player in 2024. But he was closely followed by Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who won the receiving triple crown with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. Chase averaged 100 yards and one touchdown, each and every game.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has the inside track to the AP MVP award, became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 800. He’s also the first player with more than 40 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions. He had a league-high passer rating of 119.6.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 4,918 yards, and 43 touchdown passes. He was the league leader in both categories.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry had 1,921 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns in his first season in Baltimore.