It's why the past 11 NFL MVP winners have been quarterbacks. However, every signal-caller -- even MVP winners -- need help from others to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champions at the end of the season.

The Eagles are resting Barkley and their starters because the team is locked into the no. 2 seed in the NFC playoff field with nothing to gain or lose as a result of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Giants. The Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers or the Washington Commanders in the NFC Wild Card round next week.

Two images of Saquon Barkley stand out inside the halls of Whitehall High, his alma mater. One is a close-up portrait of him as a member of the class of 2015 in black and white. He is looking directly into the camera and smiling faintly.