Is Christian McCaffrey the best running back in the National Football League right now?
The fact that he was an MVP candidate last season made it easy for many to hand him that title.
The San Francisco 49ers star might lose that title soon, though, at least according to Philadelphia Eagles' Parris Campbell.
The Eagles wide receiver believes Saquon Barkley can overtake him by the time the season starts based on a few moments he spent with his new teammate.
"I know there's a bunch of debate between him and Christian McCaffrey. And don't get me wrong, Christian McCaffrey's by far one of the best running backs in the league," he said in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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"But being able to see Saquon up close and personal, being in the same locker room, on the same team, man, he's a different guy when he's on that field, honestly. And running behind that offensive line that we have, I think it's going to be pretty scary for defenses."
Campbell and Barkley were teammates with the New York Giants last season.
One main reason he has such a take is that Barkley will now get to play with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Jalen Hurts.
Campbell might have a point here. Brock Purdy, who was also an MVP candidate last season, is widely targeting McCaffrey.
Barkley did not have the luxury of winning many games in the past season.
Christian McCaffrey vs Saquon Barkley stats, awards, and more
To humor Campbell, here's how the two elite running backs compare.
Both players are 27 and have been named Offensive Player of the Year once: CMC in 2023, when the Niners reached the Super Bowl, and Barkley in 2018, when his former team, the New York Giants, did not even reach the postseason.
CMC has the edge in terms of individual accolades, as he also has three First Team All-Pro and three Pro Bowl citations. Barkley only has two Pro Bowl and zero All-NFL Team citations.
The numbers also favor McCaffrey.
He has played more games because the Niners are a fixture in the postseason.
Since arriving in 2017 through the Carolina Panthers, he has played 91 games and recorded 6,185 rushing yards with 52 rushing touchdowns. He also converted 29 receiving touchdowns in that span.
Barkley, meanwhile, makes the most out of each appearance he makes on the field.
He arrived in the league in 2019 and has already played 74 games.
So far, he has posted 5,211 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns. He has also converted 12 receiving touchdowns.
CMC has Barkley's numbers, but the number of championships is one area where they are on similar footing.
The former reached the Super Bowl last season, the third time in his career, but he remains unlucky.
If Barkley and the Eagles can win the title this 2024, he might have a case against CMC.
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