“Leave no doubt. Give it your all, every single time.” Well, the stats show Saquon Barkley had a blazing 2024 season with 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns from 345 attempts while collecting an extra 278 receiving yards. But the real story? The man had the opportunity to make history but he turned it down to chase another goal. Barkley just required 101 additional rushing yards to beat Eric Dickerson’s 1984 single-season record of 2,105 yards, yet he chose the team, earning everyone’s respect & becoming the MVP in our hearts.

Manning, the two-time SB champ, had nothing but respect for the move, drawing a contrast between individual achievements and team goals. “You saw this year, Saquon sitting out the last game of the regular season when he had a chance to go for the rushing record,” Eli said. “Hey, if he gets the rushing record, he might be the MVP. But he said, ‘This is what’s best for the team. This is what I’m being advised to do. Sit out, be healthy for the playoffs, make this run.’ Obviously, paid it off. He’s been tremendous during the playoffs and has a chance to win a championship.” Saquon himself was unbothered by the missed record. “We didn’t come here, and I didn’t sign here to break Eric Dickerson’s record. We came here to win a Super Bowl. That’s our goal and what we want to accomplish.”

Manning and Barkley were teammates for just a short stint (2018-2019), but the bond? Unbreakable. Eli, ever the classic vet, saw the talent early: “I’ve been impressed with Saquon and just his professionalism. I’m excited to get the pads on and see what he can do.” Barkley, for his part, had a love-hate relationship with Manning’s leadership. Barkley had 331 carries for 1712 yards and had scored 18 touchdowns in 20 games with Eli Manning in his career.

Case in point? That hilarious rookie-year argument where Eli hit him with a Hall of Fame-level clapback: “If I tell you tomorrow’s Easter, go paint some eggs.” Classic. But jokes aside, Manning saw greatness in Saquon—and in 2024, the world finally saw what he meant. At the end of the day, rings weigh heavier than records, and Eagle’s Star Barkley’s decision is another reason he’s built differently.

Cam Newton: MVP over Lombardi?

Cam Newton made waves when he pulled up to ESPN’s “First Take” and confidently said he wouldn’t trade his 2015 MVP for a Super Bowl ring. The former Panthers QB, who balled out that season with a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl 50 appearance, put it bluntly: “No.” Newton’s MVP season was electric. The stats don’t lie—32,382 career passing yards, 194 TDs, 75 rushing TDs (most ever by a QB). And yet, his trophy case is missing that one elusive piece: a Lombardi.

Newton explained his take, pointing out that there are Super Bowl-winning QBs like Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, and Nick Foles who don’t get the same respect as MVPs. “I think that that’s the humble approach, but if we’re being honest, the impact of you holding yourself accountable is to say everybody has a responsibility to do. And you can say as an MVP award winner or an All-American, you’ve held yourself or you’ve held your end of the bargain down.”

Eli wasn’t buying into the debate, staying true to his “team first” mentality. “I don’t take much into hypothetical situations,” he said. “As players, you like to feel like, hey, I’m doing my job. I wanna be prepared. I wanna go out there and play the best of my ability. And this is a team sport and you gotta rely on people around you as well.”

“I think, obviously most people, and a lot of not most, but a lot of people, know, they wanna win championships” Manning’s career speaks for itself—two-time Super Bowl MVP, the guy who took down Brady’s Patriots twice. The man knows what it takes to win at the highest level, and in his eyes, championships are the ultimate currency in the NFL. Eli Manning and Saquon Barkley are living proof that team success trumps individual glory. Cam’s take? A hot one for sure, but the NFL is about legacy, and when the history books are written, it’s the Lombardi Trophy that gets the bold print.

At the end of the day, Barkley’s decision to sit out and Eli’s perspective on rings over MVPs reinforce one simple truth—greatness isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the W’s that matter most.