Super Bowl LIX: An Eagles Win Puts Saquon Barkley in an Exclusive NFL Club

• The Chiefs and Eagles prepare for Super Bowl LIX with KC looking for a threepeat
• KC and Philly are evenly matched and the difference could come down to star performances
• Saquon Barkley was the Eagles’ primary addition and could join a very special club

The NFL is a star-driven league. However, football is not an individual sport whether it’s Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or anyone else. Championship-winning acquisitions before or during the season are frequently the difference between getting past that final obstacle.

If the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX, their championship run will be inextricably linked to signing running back Saquon Barkley away from the rival Giants. Barkley would join an exclusive group of star players who made the difference in spurring their teams to a Super Bowl win.

The Chiefs are currently a 1.5-point favorite to complete the threepeat. But that’s essentially a pick ’em. Barkley is +245 to win the Super Bowl MVP.

Let’s look at the top 5 acquisitions who were the final piece to their teams’ Super Bowl wins.

Deion Sanders (2X), Cornerback – 1994 49ers, 1995 Cowboys

The Cowboys had stolen the 49ers’ thunder as the dominant team in the NFC. Dallas beat San Francisco in consecutive NFC Championship Games and showed no signs of slowing down even without head coach Jimmy Johnson.

The 49ers rebuilt their defense by signing Gary Plummer, Rickey Jackson, Ken Norton Jr., Richard Dent, and Deion.

Prime Time became the swagger behind the straitlaced 49ers. With Barry Switzer replacing Johnson, Dallas was unprepared for the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco and reeled when the ‘Niners had Deion cover their home run threat wide receiver Alvin Harper instead of Michael Irvin.

Deion covered Irvin for the key play of the game and committed blatant pass interference with a no-call from the official.

San Francisco went on to beat the Cowboys and then the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.

The next year, Deion went to Dallas. He didn’t start the season because he was still playing baseball for the San Francisco Giants. He went from a luxury to a necessity when Cowboys starting cornerback Kevin Smith tore his Achilles on opening night. The signing was immortalized in a TV commercial.

It was Deion’s presence shutting down half the field against the Steelers that led to his cornerback counterpart Larry Brown picking off two Neil O’Donnell passes in Super Bowl XXX and winning the MVP.

Fred Dean, Defensive End – 1981 49ers

Dean was an All-Pro defensive end and the NFL Players Association AFC Defensive Player of the Year for the Chargers in 1980. Angry about his contract and after playing three games for San Diego in 1981, he was traded to San Francisco for a second-round draft pick and the choice of flipping spots with their first-rounders. It was the first contending season for Bill Walsh and Joe Montana. They lost one more game the rest of the season on the way to winning Super Bowl XVI.

Tom Brady, Quarterback – 2020 Buccaneers

Tampa Bay had gone 7-9 in 2019 with Jameis Winston at quarterback. After signing Brady, they went 11-5 and won the Super Bowl. Brady’s former team, the Patriots, fell from 12-4 to 7-9.

Of course, Brady was the de facto assistant GM, assistant head coach, shadow offensive coordinator, and QB. He brought Rob Gronkowski out of retirement and recruited Leonard Fournette, Antonio Brown, and LeSean McCoy to lead the Bucs to a win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Charles Haley, Defensive End – 1992 Cowboys

In training camp 1992, the 49ers were so fed up with the 28-year-old star linebacker/defensive end Haley that they traded him to a conference rival, the Cowboys, for two draft picks.

Haley was known for fighting with teammates (and losing all of them), for his persistent disputes with head coach George Seifert, and for being viewed as completely insane.

Shortly after the trade, Raiders owner Al Davis called Jerry Jones and congratulated him on winning Super Bowl XXVII four months before it happened. Haley generally stayed in line playing for Johnson.

Mike Haynes, Cornerback – 1983 Raiders

Haynes was a season-long holdout for the Patriots when the Raiders acquired him at (or around) the NFL trade deadline for a first-round pick in 1984 and a second-round pick in 1985. But the league scrutinized any deal Davis made and it determined that the trade was completed after the official deadline. Haynes sued the league and was eventually allowed to play for Los Angeles. He combined with Lester Hayes to comprise one of the best cornerback duos in history. With Haynes, LA went on to win Super Bowl XVIII in a blowout.

Saquon Barkley Could Join Them

If the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX, signing Barkley will be rightfully viewed as the missing piece. His 2,283 yards from scrimmage have made him a finalist for the MVP. Without him, Philly is probably not even in the Super Bowl.

He has a good shot at the MVP and being part of this list of championship-winning acquisitions.