Saquon Barkley NFC Championship e1737990708249 Philadelphia EaglesChris Szagola/Associated Press

Saquon Barkley’s last touch in the NFC Championship Game was a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 48-23 advantage with eight minutes left. His storybook season now includes the opportunity to earn Super Bowl MVP honors on his 28th birthday, Feb. 9.

When Philadelphia meets Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX, Barkley is almost assured of breaking the 26-year-old single-season rushing record held by Terrell Davis (2,476 in 1998, including playoffs). Barkley’s combined regular-season (2,005) and postseason (442) total leaves him needing only 30 rushing yards to eclipse Davis. But there’s one element of Barkley’s 2024 legacy that will eclipse all those accomplishments: Outstanding teammate.

“I want to give a shoutout to Will Shipley,” Barkley told Erin Andrews after the game. “He came in, finished it strong. We talk in the running back room about making plays. … Will stepped up big for us.”

Barkley wasn’t simply referring to his replacement in the Eagles’ backfield. Shipley had Philadelphia’s final four carries, including a 57-yard burst to set up his 2-yard touchdown that made it 55-23 with three minutes left. It was no coincidence that Barkley was happiest for his understudy after the touchdown.

Shipley, who finished with four carries for 77 yards, also secured an important tackle on the Commanders’ surprise fake punt in the first quarter and returned kickoffs. But his most impactful contribution was probably his forced fumble late in the first half.

With 1:44 remaining and Philadelphia protecting a 20-12 lead after a Jalen Hurts touchdown, Shipley punched loose a Jeremy McNichols fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Kenneth Gainwell recovered at the Commanders’ 24-yard line to set up Hurts’ 4-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown.

In Barkley’s postgame interview, he had unlimited options. He chose to spotlight Shipley. That’s just one reason Barkley has earned so much respect on the eve of his first Super Bowl.

“I was just so happy for him because he has been the consummate teammate for the Philadelphia Eagles,” said Michelle Smallmon Monday morning on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike. “He is such a team-first guy. To think that the two times he played his former team in the Giants, he could have hit numbers and he didn’t for the team.

“He could have had an opportunity to go for the all-time rushing record, and he said, ‘No, let me sit out so that I’m fresh and ready to go so that the team can get their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl.’ That is the exact type of person you want in your organization, and he’s a huge reason on and off the field why the Eagles are having so much success. And I cannot believe that the Giants, who had this guy in the building, were so dismissive of him.”

For more information on the Eagles or Commanders, visit the Philadelphia and Washington team pages at ProFootballPost.com.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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