The NFL Most Valuable Player award is one of the most coveted awards in the sport, with the exception of the Lombardi Trophy. To win the award, a player must prove that he is the most valuable asset to his team and performs at a high level. Many fans get confused between the “best” player in the league that year and the most valuable player. The best player can still win the MVP, but if his team is not winning, he would most likely be awarded the Offensive or Defensive Player of the Year. On top of that, the MVP award is usually given to a Quarterback or Runningback, which means that if the best player in the league doesn’t play one of those positions, they’re odds for winning MVP are even lower.
After week 12 of the 2020 NFL season, the MVP race candidates has slimmed down to 3 notable players: Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, and Seattle Seahawks’ Russel Wilson, who all play at the Quarterback position.
Patrick Mahomes has put up a phenomenal campaign for MVP. He has led the Chiefs to a 10-1 record and put up major numbers. Mahomes has thrown for 3,497 yards, 30 touchdowns, only 2 interceptions, which is the least of all three candidates, and a 115.5 QB passer rating. On top of that, Mahomes threw for a season-high 462 yards against Tampa Bay on Sunday, while Rodgers and Wilson haven’t even scratched the 400 mark this season. Mahomes leads most statistical categories with Rodgers in second. Mahomes and the Chiefs also have better odds at clinching the 1 seed in the AFC at 42-percent, while in the NFC, Rodgers and the Packers have a 30-percent chance and Wilson and Seahawks have a 13-percent chance. Rodgers, however, has put up a decent competition for Mahomes. Rodgers has thrown for 3,100 yard, 33 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and a 117.6 QB passer rating, which is arguably better than Mahomes’s season stats. Nevertheless, the Packers’ record is only 8-3 compared to the Chiefs’ 10-1. Wilson’s shot at MVP is slowly fading after his blazing-hot start during the beginning of the season. Wilson has thrown for 3,216 yards, 31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 110.8 QB passer rating, which is the worst of the three. Wilson does have 5 more games to bounce back but that is heavily dependent on Mahomes and Rodgers playing worse than Wilson does. The odds aren’t completely against Wilson however, because Wilson has the easiest remaining schedule compared to Rodgers and Mahomes, which gives Wilson an opportunity to improve his statistics. As the season hits the home-stretch, it will be very fun to watch how all 3 players do and see who comes out triumphant.
The Prep News 