Philadelphia Eagles Running Back Saquon Barkley has been selected as the 2024 Bert Bell Award winner by the Maxwell Football Club following a Top 10 rushing season in NFL history. Barkley finished his first season in Philadelphia with 2,005 yards, which ranks 8th best in gridiron record books. Philly’s running back can ask his star quarterback about the award – Jalen Hurts earned the honor for his performance during the 2022 NFL regular season.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley earns prestigious award
Established in 1959, the Bert Bell Award honors the former Philadelphia Eagles owner (1933-1940) and NFL Commissioner (1946-1959). The award recipient is recognized “for their exceptional contributions to the sport, upholding the legacy of Bell’s commitment to excellence in football.” Bell, among numerous influential contributions during his decade as an NFL leader, established the Pro Bowl to honor the league’s best players in 1938.
🏆 Congratulations to @saquon, RB for the @Eagles on winning the Bert Bell Award as the professional football player of the year! 🙌
— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) January 16, 2025
Join us in celebrating Saquon’s incredible achievement at the Maxwell Awards Gala this March at the @cfbhall in Atlanta, where he will officially… pic.twitter.com/Wvo2NI3moJ
Saquon Barkley led the NFL with 345 carries, 2,005 rushing yards, and 46 explosive runs of 10+ yards during his inaugural season in Midnight Green. His 5.8 yards-per-attempt placed second to Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry’s 6.0 average in 2024.
Surely limited by the success of the Brotherly Shove, Barkley finished inside the top 10 with 13 rushing touchdowns in 2024. Former NFL quarterback turned sports media personality Eli Manning suggests Barkley should be in the conversation for the NFL MVP following his impressive campaign. “I think Saquon should be in the mix,” Barkley’s former teammate said. “He was an unbelievable teammate, honored to have played with him, and happy for his success this year. I know he’s excited to be on a playoff team… definitely throwing his name in the mix [in the MVP conversation]”.
The 27-year-old Barkley is the 66th all-time Bert Bell Award winner and the eighth Eagles player to claim the prestigious award. He is the second Eagles non-QB to be recognized as the best player in football. Philadelphia Tight End Pete Retzlaff claimed the honor following the 1965 NFL season and is the only TE in NFL history to claim a Player of the Year trophy for the historic football organization.
As expected, Quarterbacks have claimed over 60% of the Bert Bell Awards, including six different Philadelphia signal callers. Jalen Hurts (2022), Carson Wentz (2017), Michael Vick (2010), Randall Cunningham (1988 & 1990), Ron Jaworski (1980), and Norm Van Brocklin (1960) all won the award while playing for the Eagles. Running backs have claimed the second-best share of the award (24%), and less than 10% of winners are non-QB, non-RB athletes—most recently, Defensive End J.J. Watt for the Houston Texans in 2014.
Barkley will receive his award at the 88th Maxwell Awards Gala, which will be held in mid-March at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA. Tickets are currently available on the Maxwell Football Club website.
Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
