Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earned back-to-back MVP honours last season, the fourth league MVP award in his already illustrious career. However, the chances of him achieving a 3-peat this season are pretty slim.
The now 38-years old quarterback passed for 4,115 and 37 touchdowns, and earned a 111.9 passer rating during last year’s MVP run, but is unlikely to repeat the same feat. Rodgers saw his top receiver, Davante Adams, jet off to Vegas during the offseason after eight seasons with the Packers. Adams, who was recently ranked the best wide receiver in the league by ESPN, notched a career-high 123 receptions for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
The absence of Adams means Rodgers will face stiffer competition this season from younger quarterbacks in the league with a better roster. Here’s what the NFL odds for league MVP look like on FanDuel:
Josh Allen (+300)
Jalen Hurts (+600)
Lamar Jackson (+600)
Patrick Mahomes, (+700)
Justin Herbert (+1600)
Tua Tagovailoa (+1700)
Aaron Rodgers (+2000)
Matthew Stafford (+2300)
Joe Burrow (+2500)
Tom Brady (+3000)
Kyler Murray, (+3500)
Derek Carr (+3800)
Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos (+3800)
Trevor Lawrence (+3800)
Kirk Cousins (+4000)
Jimmy Garoppolo (+5000)
Cooper Kupp (+6000)
Jameis Winston (+7500)
Justin Jefferson (+7500)
Matt Ryan (+7500)
As of September 27, 2022.
Josh Allen
Josh Allen might be one of the youngest quarterbacks in the NFL, but he hasn’t looked back since his breakout season in 2020 when he led the Bills to their first division championship since 1995. Allen’s numbers continue to speak: his ability to get the ball out and deliver with top-notch accuracy sets him on a different pedestal. If the 26-year-old keeps up the pace with a Bills team which looks poised to win it all this season, he could well be on his way to his first MVP award.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the most lethal offences in the league led by Jalen Hurts. Hurts is likely to register around 1,000 yards rushing this season, but what could put him in the driving seat is his new-found passing dexterity. Should Hurts maintain his career-high completion rate (61.7%) and league-leading 9.3 Y/A, he has a shot at winning the MVP.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
The 2019 league MVP has had to endure some time on the sidelines, but everyone knows what a healthy Jackson is capable of. Yes, we don’t expect him to immediately average 400 passing yards as he did before the injuries, but putting up 300 should keep him in the conversation. He’s currently averaging 249.7 passing yards and 80.1 rushing yards per game.
Jackson is already having a historic season: he became the first player with three passing touchdowns and 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games. He currently leads the league in TDs (10) and passer rating (119.0) this season.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes has always been in the conversation for league MVP since his MVP-winning season in 2018, so it’s no surprise to see his name up in the news again. The Chiefs may have brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for Tyreek Hill, but their superstar quarterback doesn’t seem to be bothered about this.
He’s already hit the ground running for the 2022 season with 8 touchdowns, including 5 in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. #15 has put up at least 4700 yards and 37+ TDs in three of the last four seasons. If he can replicate this form in 2022, he has a strong chance to win the MVP.
Summary
If we’ve learned anything from the previous years, it is that the MVP race doesn’t truly become heated until playoff teams start taking shape later on in the season. But if we’re to make an early prediction, the MVP would most likely go to Josh Allen who is leading a Bills offence poised to lead the league in scoring. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Allen will put up outrageous numbers this season and might lead his team to the overall best record in the regular season. At the moment, his closest competitions
What’s almost completely certain is that a quarterback will win the award this season. We haven’t seen a non-QB emerge as the MVP since former Vikings running back Andrian Peterson took home the award.
