The notion that a Super Bowl contender should make a substantial investment in a running back was dead. And Saquon Barkley held a shovel.

If the most gifted running back of his generation, one “touched by the hand of God,” couldn’t change the fortunes of a franchise, who could?

Before Barkley joined the NFL, the significance of the running back position had already started to diminish. In the past 16 seasons leading up to 2007, seven running backs had been honored with the MVP award, with Adrian Peterson being the sole running back to receive the title in 2012. Despite this, since Barkley was drafted at No. 2 in 2018, not a single running back has been chosen within the top five picks of the NFL draft. Moreover, in five out of the last six drafts, no running back has been selected in the top 20.

In the latest season, running backs failed to make the list of the top 100 highest-paid players in the league. Additionally, the franchise tag value for running backs, at $11.95 million, was the lowest among all positions, excluding kickers and punters.